


Survivors

by GhostlyGoddess2010



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prostitution, Slummy/Grungy, Theft, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-26 12:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12058593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostlyGoddess2010/pseuds/GhostlyGoddess2010
Summary: Naruto likes to relax after a long day the old fashioned way: by hiring a prostitute.  Kakashi's prostitution service usually does wonders to relax him, until Kakashi sends Sasuke his way.  After dealing with Sasuke, Naruto finds himself frustrated for an entirely different reason.





	1. Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> Everything Naruto related is owned by Kishimoto Masashi and not myself, therefore he can continue to reap all the benefits and I'll just write to soothe my soul.
> 
> About This Fic:  
> This fic is kind of strange, but it won't be the first time I've done strange (Not Quite Death), so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. The idea for this one actually came from a dream I had (I don't have normal dreams, so reader beware) and I knew I had to write it. Like Night And Day, this one is also going to be pretty dark, possibly more so because of the twisted situation our boys have found themselves in, so try to keep that in mind. Also, unlike with my other fics, this one isn't thoroughly planned out, so wish me luck! I hope you guys enjoy it and don't forget to tell me what you think!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto's got a lot going on and needs a way to relax. Then he meets Sasuke.

Uzumaki Naruto collapsed on the motel bed he shared with many, but no one in particular.  He glanced at his roommates and partners in crime, Nara Shikamaru and Temari.  Sometimes he wished he was lucky enough to find a significant other, but that was nearly impossible given his situation.  Instead, he focused his energy on being relieved that he had Shikamaru and Temari in his life and that he wasn’t all alone entirely.  In fact, they pretty much saved him from a life on the streets.  The least he could do was be happy for them.

Temari, who refused to give her surname to anyone for personal reasons, had thick blonde hair that she tied up in four sections on the back of her head.  It was an odd hairstyle, but Naruto found that it fit her, somehow.

Shikamaru kept his long black hair pulled up in a ponytail that he only took down for sleeping.  The man was the very definition of lazy, but he and Temari were the closest thing Naruto had to family nowadays, and he loved them nonetheless.

Naruto reached into the drawer next to his bed as he fished out one of several untraceable phones the trio kept there.  “You’re really calling that prostitution service again?” Temari asked incredulously as she lit a joint.  “It’s only been a week, Naruto, you’re going to tire them all out.”

“Shut it Temari,” he snapped as he quickly dialed the number he had written on a cocktail napkin earlier that week.  “Do you hear me complaining about all the smoke in the room?  You relax your way and I’ll relax mine.”

“Bothersome,” Shikamaru mumbled under his breath before taking a hit from the joint his long-time girlfriend had passed him.  He understood Naruto’s need to relax, hell, Temari and he definitely had their methods for it, but Temari had a point.  Every town they visited, Naruto managed to bed every prostitute it had to offer, several times over.  Enough was enough.  He wasn’t sure about Temari’s views on the issue, but he was beginning to believe that Naruto had something else on his mind he was trying to forget.

Naruto ended his call, leaning back on the bed as he waited for his guest to arrive.  He had met the local pimp- Kakashi- in person, and they hit it off immediately.  That was how Naruto had ended up with his personal cell number, after all.  Kakashi told Naruto to call if he ever felt like relieving some stress, and right now he most certainly did.  In fact, these days, Naruto felt like he always had excess stress to relieve.  He didn’t mind though; at least his money was going to a good cause.  The workers got their cut, Kakashi got his, and Naruto got a distraction, if only temporarily.  It was a win-win-win.

Kakashi had seemed so excited that Naruto was bisexual.  He had asked Naruto if he had a preference and when Naruto said no, he seemed to become giddy.  At least Naruto knew he would get to experience everything that Kakashi had to offer.  He was already excited to see who Kakashi would send today.

As if on cue, he heard a knock at the door and got up to answer it.  When he opened the door, he couldn’t help but stare at the man in front of him.  Standing in the doorway was a pale-skinned man who stood just a little taller than he did.  The man had short black hair that spiked in the back and coal-black eyes to match.  This man was absolutely beautiful.

Naruto almost groaned at the prospect of sleeping with this man.  He imagined how soft those tufts of black hair would be as he ran his fingers through them and how the intensity of the man’s gaze would fuel his desire in the heat of passion.  He was surprised to find himself anxiously counting each passing second in anticipation for what they were about to do.  Already he could feel the heat begin to build in his groin.

“You must work for Kakashi,” he smiled excitedly.  The man simply nodded, refusing to speak.  “Come on in.”

 

☯

 

Sasuke leaned against the old brick building, closing his eyes against the harsh midday light.  In general, he wasn’t very social, so Kakashi usually had to approach him about potential clients.  He didn’t exactly like his job, but then again, who did?  Although it had been a few years and now that he was older he had other options, he was still young and those options were limited.  He’d grown accustomed to his lifestyle anyway, so it was difficult to imagine living any other way.

Sasuke was the most casually dressed of his coworkers.  Kakashi let him get away with it because he was undeniably good-looking.  Lucky him.  At least he was comfortable in his jeans and hoodie.  

He sighed as he heard Kakashi’s footsteps approaching.  He hated his assignments, but he had to make money somehow.  If anything, he’d mastered the art of indifference.  All he had to do was show up and serve as a human stress ball, at least that was how he chose to look at it.  Kakashi had always been respectful of Sasuke’s sexuality,  never pairing him with a woman, so he always had that going for him.  

“Sasuke,” Kakashi spoke as he finally approached the raven-haired man.  “I have an assignment for you,” he said, handing over a slip of paper with an address.  Sasuke took it, noting that the address was that of a local motel.  He didn’t question it; it wasn’t exactly unusual for him to tend to someone in one of the rented rooms.  He simply hoped this one was worth his time.

As Sasuke began to make his way to the nearby motel, Kakashi’s voice stopped him in his tracks.  “This particular client is a little different,” he admitted.  Sasuke doubted that.  Every john was inevitably the same; they were all looking for a way to get off.  “I’m serious,” he reaffirmed, sensing Sasuke’s doubt.  “You can ask Fu and Haku.  They’ve already tended to him this week.  At the rate this one’s going, he’s gonna run through all of you before next weekend.”

“Bisexual?” Sasuke turned to look behind him at his white-haired pimp.  Kakashi nodded and Sasuke snorted in disbelief and disgust.  This guy didn’t want pussy or ass, he just wanted sex.  As much of it in as many ways as he could have it.  Every “bisexual” that Sasuke had ever had to deal with had turned out to be disgusting and desperate to stick his dick in _anything_.  They gave new definition to the word _slut_ , and that was impressive coming from Sasuke.

“He’s not like that, Sasuke,” Kakashi insisted, knowing what Sasuke was thinking.  He had been informed of Sasuke’s poor experiences with bisexuals and he was convinced to show the man that bisexuality came in many shapes and sizes.  This new client of theirs, Naruto, had seemed genuinely nice and not at all like those other “bisexuals” that Sasuke had been paired with.  Based on Fu and Haku’s accounts, this guy was the real deal; he was attracted to many and was truly bisexual.  Better yet, Fu and Haku had thoroughly enjoyed their time with the man, a rare occurrence in their profession.  “Just talk to Fu and Haku,” he said finally as he lit a cigarette and brushed past Sasuke.  He knew Sasuke probably wouldn’t listen, but it was at least worth a try.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.  He would do this assignment if he had to, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

 

☯

 

Sasuke didn’t talk to Fu or Haku.  He didn’t want to, honestly.  It wasn’t worth the effort of trying to track them down and hear their take on this one particular john whom they’d probably already forgotten.  Besides, he didn’t believe that they’d have anything relevant to offer.  Sex was sex regardless, how much different could this one guy be?

It wasn’t until the door was swung open that Sasuke regretted his decision to not consult his coworkers.  Standing before him was a beautiful tanned god with three scars on each of his cheeks that looked like whiskers.  As the sunlight caught on his blond locks, he seemed to positively _glow_ , his deep sapphire eyes shining as though they were vast pools shrouded in mystery.  

Sasuke forced down his admiration of the man in front of him as he fought to keep his face passive.  He took a moment to mentally scold himself for actually being stunned by someone’s looks.  Since when did he care how other people looked?  This was a job and he needed to remember that.  Nothing was ever going to come of this.

After a short moment, the man smiled brightly, forcing Sasuke to look away in an attempt to avoid its brilliance.  “You must work for Kakashi,” he greeted excitedly.  Sasuke nodded, still refusing to speak  He wasn’t sure what might come out if he actually opened his mouth.  “Come on in.”  

 

☯

 

The first thing that Sasuke noticed when he walked into the room was the acrid smell of smoke.  The second was that there were other people in the room.

Sasuke felt his pulse begin to quicken immediately, bracing himself for the worst.  He hoped this wasn’t some attempt at an orgy, because he was not okay with that.  Another look in their direction, though, settled the fear in his stomach.  They were busy smoking and deep in conversation, possibly not even fully aware of Sasuke’s presence.  They weren’t even looking at him.

Sensing his hesitation, Naruto spoke up.  “Don’t worry about them,” he tried to console the beautiful man.  “They’re in their own little world, they won’t bother us.”

The knowledge that these two were not somehow part of the blond’s plans actually soothed Sasuke a bit.  He hadn’t walked into a trap; they just happened to be in the same place.  It wouldn’t be the first time Sasuke had had an audience.  At least these two didn’t seem to have any interest in him whatsoever.

The blond came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Sasuke’s waist.  Sasuke froze, holding his breath as he felt his pulse quicken at the electrifying touch.  He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him.  Up until now, no one had ever elicited any sort of reaction from him.  Perhaps it had just been too long since he’d sought out sex for pleasure.

“What’s your name?” the blond purred, his voice low in Sasuke’s ear.  Sasuke felt himself begin to relax into the warm body of his temporary lover.  Maybe he would let himself relax, just this once.  It’s not as if this stranger would ever be able to tell the difference anyway.  Besides, he couldn’t see what was in Sasuke’s head.

“Sasuke,” he answered coldly, insistent on keeping his thoughts private.  “Yours?”  Sasuke didn’t usually ask the name of his clients; it had never been necessary.  Seeing as how this man had asked his though, it only seemed appropriate.

“Naruto,” he responded, turning Sasuke around to face him.  He could already feel the other’s man erection through his jeans and he could feel his own groin beginning to stir in response.  Naruto leaned forward to place a kiss on Sasuke’s lips, but Sasuke pressed a finger to the man’s lips before he made it very far.

“No kissing,” he said simply as he pushed the blond away and stripped off his shirt.  Not one to complain about distraction sex, Naruto shrugged and did the same with his own shirt.  The men each took a moment to admire each other’s well-toned chests, though Sasuke hid his admiration behind a scowl.

Naruto plopped down on the well-worn bed as he smiled appreciatively at Sasuke’s form.  “We gonna do this or what?” he asked, tired of waiting around to get to the good part.

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he approached the man on the bed.  “You’re the boss,” he said bitterly.

 

☯

 

Naruto quickly unfastened Sasuke’s pants excitedly.  He could already feel the stress of the day melting away.  He pushed down Sasuke’s pants before laying back and shimmying out of his own.  

As Naruto’s fingers grazed the front of Sasuke’s thighs, Sasuke felt a shiver go through him.  No one had ever touched Sasuke so intimately before and he suddenly became aware of his proximity to the blond.  Naruto’s hands travelled to the backs of Sasuke’s thighs and crept up under his boxers to cup his ass.  Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek nervously.  He couldn’t remember a time that sex had ever made him feel so vulnerable.

Naruto released his hold on Sasuke’s ass, bringing his hands down to the hem of the man's boxers.  He tugged lightly on the fabric, releasing Sasuke’s erection, but leaving the man otherwise covered.  As he leaned forward, Sasuke’s hand flew to grip Naruto’s hair.  He tugged harshly, preventing Naruto from coming any closer.

Naruto grinned ferally at the rough treatment.  This man was definitely worth the money, possibly even more.  “Intimacy issues?” he teased.  “Whatever, I can work with that.”  He ripped Sasuke’s boxers down the rest of the way, stripping his own off just as quickly.

Naruto stood up, pushing Sasuke down onto the bed, laying the man on his back.  He crawled on top of Sasuke hungrily, only ceasing his pursuit when Sasuke turned away to avoid eye contact.  He didn’t expect the man to speak up, so he figured he’d go ahead and ask.  “Something wrong?”

“Don’t look at me,” Sasuke said softly.  He hated this display of vulnerability, but he couldn’t exactly hide the fact that he was avoiding meeting the blond’s eyes.

“Don’t look at you?  But you’re…” Naruto trailed off, refusing to voice his thought aloud.  Sasuke probably wouldn’t respond well to being called beautiful.

Sasuke glared at him in response, daring him to finish his sentence.  Naruto opted out of that choice though, sensing the man’s agitation.  “Here,” he said softly as he tried to compromise.  “Roll over.”

“Why?” Sasuke spat angrily.  He might be a prostitute, but he wasn’t some cheap whore to be used and thrown away.

“It’ll be easier for you.  You won’t see my face,” Naruto explained calmly.  Sasuke thought this option over before complying.  It was a simple solution and Naruto was being reasonable.  More than reasonable, he was actually trying to make Sasuke comfortable.  Sasuke had never slept with someone so...considerate, especially when it was work-related.

Naruto ran his warm hands over the prominent muscles in Sasuke’s back, making Sasuke forget all about the discomfort he’d felt only moments earlier.  He watched silently as Naruto reached into the drawer of the nightstand to pull out lube and a condom.  He was even prepared.  Sasuke didn’t dare think of why that might be.

Naruto reached around to grab Sasuke’s erection with his right hand as he slowly began to prep him with his left.  He silently admired Sasuke’s girth, not daring to voice his thoughts.  He usually enjoyed whispering his dirty thoughts into his partner’s ear, but he instinctively knew that Sasuke wouldn’t appreciate the gesture.  He continued to stroke Sasuke carefully as he searched for the man’s prostate.  Sasuke was quiet overall, but Naruto knew he was successful when he felt the man’s muscles clench beneath him.

Once he had sufficiently prepared Sasuke, Naruto rolled on a condom and lined himself up with Sasuke’s entrance.  “Are you ready?” he asked, just to be sure.  Sasuke simply nodded and Naruto slowly pushed in, trying not to harm the man.

Sasuke held back a groan at the feeling of Naruto inside him.  Naruto continued to stroke him as the blond’s cock rested right against Sasuke’s prostate while he adjusted to the intrusion.  The pressure of Naruto’s cock pushing against his most sensitive spot alone was almost his undoing.  With the blond’s attention to his cock as well, Sasuke was forced to resort to biting his lip in an attempt to remain silent.  He was beyond relieved that Naruto couldn’t see his eyes rolling in the back of his head.  The pleasure was so acute and Naruto hadn’t even started to thrust yet.

Naruto was comforted by the feeling of the tight heat that embraced him.  He tried to keep his thoughts at bay while he waited for Sasuke to adjust, but simply stroking the raven-haired man’s cock was causing his mouth to water in anticipation.  Once he felt enough time had passed, he began to slowly thrust in and out of the man beneath him.

If Sasuke thought the adjustment period was torture, then Naruto’s slow thrusts were just plain _deadly_.  Each careful thrust brushed against his prostate, almost causing him to moan out, and Naruto’s continuous attention to his cock wasn’t helping matters.  Sasuke usually didn’t reach climax when he was with a client, but he felt it inevitable with Naruto.

Naruto eased himself into picking up the pace, trying not to hurt Sasuke.  It wasn’t long before he was thrusting harshly into Sasuke’s prostate as he felt his orgasm drawing near.  Based on the tremors he could feel from Sasuke, the raven-haired man was close as well.

As Naruto stroked Sasuke faster and fucked him harder, Sasuke found himself gripping the sheets beneath him tightly.  He grit his teeth together harshly, desperately trying to stay silent as he came hard on the sheets beneath him.

Moments after Sasuke’s climax, Naruto reached his own, broken moans falling from his lips as he collapsed on top of the other man.  In his dazed state, he barely realized that there was something special about this man.  That was the best orgasm he’d ever had.

“Can you get off me, now?” Sasuke snapped from beneath the blond.  Embarrassed by his lethargic state, Naruto quickly rolled off of Sasuke, not even reacting when he fell into the sticky puddle that Sasuke had left on the sheets.

“Sorry,” he said groggily, closing his eyes.  When he opened them few seconds later, Sasuke was already dressed and headed out the door.  He wanted to reach out to the man, to say something, _anything_ , but nothing came out.  Unable to think of something to say, he silently watched as Sasuke walked out the door.  Naruto decided right then that he would talk to Kakashi the following day.  Then he passed out from sheer exhaustion, not even bothering to clean himself up.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have no idea how long this will be or how long it will take, so I want to apologize in advance. I don't really have a beta for this one, so it will probably remained un-beta'd, but I have a few ideas for it and I think it will work out in the end. I hope you guys like it so far, just let me know what you think.


	2. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke tries to come to terms with his feelings as Naruto thinks about the man he recently shared his bed with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad that so many of you are interested in this! It's just odd to me because it wasn't something I'd ever consider if it hadn't been for that weird dream I have. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it though, because It's fun to write. I hope you guys enjoy the second chapter!

Sasuke waited until he was fairly distanced from the motel before allowing himself to slump against the nearest tree as he sank to the ground.   _What the hell was that_?

Sasuke’s mind was reeling.  He had never felt so...comfortable on an assignment before.  Hell, Sasuke hadn’t even remembered the other people in the room until he was leaving.  He had felt differently with Naruto- special, even- and that thought terrified him.

When Sasuke had decided to become a prostitute, he had vowed that he wouldn’t allow himself to feel _anything_ for his clients.  He would have sex with them, get paid, and leave; no strings attached.  Now, however, he found himself curious about the blond and why he was sharing a shoddy motel room with two other people and fucking prostitutes in front of them.  Remembering his earlier conversation with Kakashi, he also found himself curious as to why this man was fucking prostitutes like it was going out of style, or even why such a gorgeous man would _need_ to consult a prostitution service.  Why wasn’t he in a relationship when his comrades clearly were?  Did they treat sex the same way he did and fuck in front of him?  Who were they to him?  And more importantly, why the fuck did Sasuke care?

Sasuke groaned as he rubbed his hands over his face.  His desires to see the man again and get as far away from him as he could were warring with each other and it was giving him a migraine.  There was nothing Sasuke feared more than attachment; attachment only ever brought pain.  Eventually he decided that he would do what he always did and run from it.  Besides, Kakashi and he had agreed long ago that he would never have a repeat client.  At least this way he could carry on with his life as he focused on what was really important.

 

☯

 

Naruto had never felt so relaxed.  Sure, he used prostitution services strictly for relaxation purposes, but Sasuke had been something else.  He might have even been a little upset when he woke up alone.  Of course, that could have just been his loneliness growing stronger.

Sure, Sasuke didn’t seem open to much, hell the guy hadn’t even let Naruto kiss or blow him.  He couldn’t _imagine_ denying an offer for free head, but to each their own.  If anything, he took it as a challenge, and Naruto loved a good challenge.

He also found himself curious.   _Why_ did Sasuke refuse his kiss and attempt to please the man?  Just because he was a prostitute didn’t mean that he didn’t deserve to enjoy it.  He _should_ enjoy it and Naruto had always made it his goal to please his lovers.  

He supposed Sasuke had enjoyed it at least a little.  The man’s cum on the overused sheets was evidence of that.  He wanted more than that, though.  He wanted to draw moans from the other’s lips and watch the pale face contort as he brought Sasuke to climax.  The thought alone was making him hard.

There was more to Sasuke than being a prostitute, though, and Naruto had realized that almost immediately.  Sasuke was guarded and careful, unlike so many others.  He was hiding something other than himself.

Of course, Naruto planned to be in touch with Kakashi again.  Once the sun came up again, Naruto planned on making a call, only this time, he was going to specifically request Sasuke.  He didn’t know what it was about the other man, but he needed to know more about him.

“Awake already?” Temari teased from her side of the room.  “I was sure you’d be out for like 12 hours.  You really liked him, didn’t you?”

“What gave it away?” Naruto groaned, not sure he really wanted to hear her answer.

“You usually last quite a bit longer.  Not that he seemed to be complaining, even if he _was_ in a hurry to get out of here.”

“What do you think his deal is?” Naruto asked her.  Temari had been Naruto’s best friend ever since they’d met.  He always talked to her about things that had been bothering him.

“The intimacy thing?”  When Naruto nodded, she shrugged.  “Look at his profession.  He’s a prostitute.  You can’t exactly let feelings come into play if you plan on sleeping with a number of people to make a living.  Perhaps that’s just his way of trying to control it.”

Naruto was quiet for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.  Temari had never known him to be so pensive, so she spoke up, accurately predicting his thoughts.  “You want to see him again, don’t you?”

“I wanna know who he is,” Naruto responded softly.  His tone betrayed his heart and Temari felt a pang at the obvious display of emotion.  She was aware of Naruto growing lonelier- even if he didn’t voice his thoughts out loud- but a prostitute?  There was no way it would ever work out- especially with their lifestyle- but Naruto’s heart had already made up its mind.  Nothing good would come of this.

 

☯

 

When Sasuke reported back to Kakashi, he remained silent as he handed over the envelope he’d collected from Naruto’s nightstand.  It was standard procedure for Kakashi’s prostitution service; the customer was instructed to leave their money in a blank envelope on their nightstand for easy collection after an assignment.

Kakashi fumbled through the envelope, counting the money to hand Sasuke his cut, pausing when he was finished.  He quickly did the mental math and smiled.  Haku and Fu hadn’t been this lucky.

“He left you a tip,” Kakashi said simply, not surprised when Sasuke’s eyes snapped up to meet his.  Kakashi always let his workers keep the entirety of their tips, after all, they _had_ earned them.  Usually the cut between he and the workers was split 80 percent in his favor; he _did_ have a business to run after all.  In either case, Kakashi’s service wasn’t cheap and he made sure his subordinates were paid well.  With prostitution illegal in Japan, he had to make sure he had enough to pay any fines that he may incur if something came up.  He also realized that turning to prostitution was often an act of desperation, so he made sure to take care of his workers.  That included paying for routine health checks and supplying them with protection and lube.  He had come to know his employees on a personal level and he didn’t want anything to happen them.

“A tip?”  Sasuke was a little confused.  At what point had the blond slipped extra money in the envelope and why would he tip him?  All Sasuke did was show up and let Naruto fuck him.  That was just his job, so why did Naruto think he deserved a tip?

“Yeah, I mean, he gave Fu and Haku tips too, but this is…” Kakashi trailed off as he handed Sasuke his cut.  Sasuke was smart, he knew how much Kakashi charged and how he split it; he would figure it out for himself.

Sasuke quickly fumbled through the bills before looking back at Kakashi, confused.  The generous tip that the blond included had resulted in a 50/50 split rather than the standard 80/20.  Sasuke didn’t know what to make of it.

“He must have really liked you,” Kakashi answered Sasuke’s confused expression.  “How did he treat you?”  Kakashi knew that Sasuke had reasons for his reservations going in, but based on Fu and Haku’s accounts, he figured this was a safe bet.  Regardless, he still wanted to make sure Sasuke was okay.

Sasuke shrugged.  “He was...fine.  He wasn’t like the others,” he added softly.  So it had turned out that this particular man wasn’t claiming bisexuality out of blind lust or an animalistic urge to claim anything he could.  It didn’t make Sasuke trust the label any more, but it comforted him somehow.  It was nice to know that there were decent people out there.  Just another thing that made Naruto stand out among the others.  Sasuke was almost upset that he wouldn’t be tending to the blond again.

“Good,” Kakashi nodded, “I was hoping that would be the case.  Anyway, it’s getting late.  Go home and get some rest.”

Sasuke nodded, obeying Kakashi as he headed home.  Tomorrow would be a new day and he would need to be ready for whatever assignments awaited him.

 

☯

 

Naruto stood in the shower pondering life as he watched the black water swirl down the drain.  It slowly turned clear as the temporary dye finished leaving his hair.

He had never expected this, really.  When he was younger, he had dreamed of being something akin to a civil service member, someone that could help others and make an impact.  Honestly, he didn’t even want money or power; as long as he was helping people, he’d be happy.  

Nowadays the only person he was helping was himself.

He couldn’t let that get him down though, and he refused to acknowledge it outside the shower.  His showers were the only time he allowed for introspection, knowing that if he dwelled on it too long, he wouldn’t have the will to survive.

He sighed as he turned off the faucet, focusing his thoughts on something more positive.  He’d called Kakashi earlier and talked to the man about Sasuke.  Kakashi informed him that, typically, Sasuke didn’t agree to repeat visits.  In response, Naruto had promised that he’d make it worth Sasuke’s time.  Kakashi seemed skeptical as he told Naruto he’d do his best to convince the man, but Naruto wasn’t worried.  If Kakashi didn’t succeed in convincing Sasuke, Naruto would just visit Kakashi and ask to speak to Sasuke himself.

Naruto quickly dressed, hoping that Sasuke would appear at the door as he had the prior day.  He had already resolved that this would be _different_.  Sasuke was more than just a prostitute and Naruto wanted to know what made the man tick.  No one had ever evoked such a curiosity in the blond before and he needed more.  Something in the back of Naruto’s mind told him that he’d never give up on this man.

 

☯

 

“I thought we agreed I wouldn’t have repeat clients,” Sasuke seethed at Kakashi.  He had woken up in a fairly good mood, but Kakashi’s assignment for him had pissed him off immediately.

“Sasuke, he said he’d make it worth your while,” Kakashi tried to negotiate with the seething man.  “After that tip he gave you yesterday, I’m surprised you’re so quick to decline.”

“It’s part of our contract,” he answered sharply.  “I don’t care about his money.”

“Is that so?” Kakashi asked in disbelief.  “Then why, exactly, did you become a prostitute, Sasuke; if not for the money?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes.  Fuck Kakashi.  “I don’t want his money; the deal violates our contract,” he explained angrily.

“Contracts can be renegotiated, Sasuke.  All the other workers have regulars, why is it that you’re so opposed?”

“I have my reasons,” Sasuke answered, refusing to give Kakashi any details.  He didn’t need the older man knowing that he didn’t want to get attached to anyone, that would only fuel more questions.  Too many questions could have Sasuke reliving his past, and he didn’t want that.

Kakashi sighed, sensing Sasuke’s unwillingness to budge on the issue.  “You said yourself that he wasn’t like the others, he tipped you well, and he’s asking for you _specifically_.  I don’t know what part of your bad attitude turned him on, but he said he’d make it worth your time.  At least give this _one_ person another shot?  If you decide it’s absolutely horrible, then I won’t ask you to keep him as your regular, but without a reason, Sasuke, I have no motivation to keep you away from him.  Besides, if you turn him down now, he’s more likely to come up here and demand your presence personally, so it’s easier if you just go along with it.”

“Fine,” Sasuke bit out, gritting his teeth.  “Just this once.  But if I don’t like it, don’t ask me for anything like this ever again.”

 

☯

 

Naruto jumped out of bed excitedly when he heard a knock on the door.  Temari rolled her eyes, worried that her friend was only going to get hurt.

“Sasuke!” Naruto greeted the pissed off man brightly as he answered the door.  Sasuke moved to push past him, but Naruto stopped him by placing his hand on his chest.

“Move, moron,” Sasuke growled as he rolled his eyes.  He wasn’t sure what Naruto was getting at, but he wasn’t willing to have sex in the motel parking lot.

“Actually, umm…” Naruto trailed off nervously.  He had never done this before, so he wasn’t exactly sure how to continue.

“What?” Sasuke spat, scowling at the blond.  Did Naruto really have him come all the way out here for nothing?  And after he had fought so hard against Kakashi and fucking _lost_?  Naruto wasn’t about turn him away _now_.  He was here and he was going to get paid for his time.

“Well...I…” Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously as he searched for the right words.

Sasuke crossed his arms, leaning his weight on one foot.  “If you turn me away now, I fully expect payment for my time.  Either let me in, or pay up now.”

“No, no,” Naruto waved his arms in front of him erratically, trying to show Sasuke that he was- in no way- trying to turn him away.  “It’s just...are you hungry?”

Sasuke blinked, unsure of how to proceed.  “What?”

“Are you hungry?  Have you eaten?  Would you like to...grab...a...bite?”  He nervously bit his lip, not sure of what to expect in terms of a response from the man in front of him.

“Are you…” Sasuke paused, trying to process what the moron was saying.  “Are you...asking me out?  On a date?”

“Actually,” Naruto blushed as his nerves took control of his body.  “Yeah.”

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't really have a timeline for the next chapter, but it should cover Sasuke's response and maybe some of their back story. I'm not sure when I'm going to let you guys know what's up with Naruto and company, but it won't go unsaid forever. Don't forget to let me know what you guys think, I appreciate all your feedback!


	3. Unconventional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto asks Sasuke out on a date and Sasuke has a proposition for Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write, I've been super busy lately trying to do a thousand things at once. I'm trying to take this slowly and not let everything happen at once, which is *really* difficult for someone as impatient as myself. I have a feeling the next chapter will also take awhile, so I want to apologize for that too. This chapter kind of sets the scene for the rest of the fic, so you'll start to see how their relationship begins to develop. I hope you all enjoy it!

“Are you…” Sasuke paused, trying to process what the moron was saying.  “Are you...asking me out?  On a date?”

“Actually,” Naruto blushed as his nerves took control of his body.  “Yeah.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto, his face blank.   _What the fuck?_  Was this what Kakashi meant about making it worth his time?  Because if that was the case, Sasuke was going to kill him.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked.  Every second of silence between them made him more nervous, and at this point, he just wanted some sort of response.

“Umm...why?” Sasuke asked, trying to buy some time as he thought this over.  He knew he had every right to turn Naruto away, considering Kakashi’s workers didn’t receive payment until after their assignment.  He also knew that if he turned Naruto down, Kakashi would have questions, and he wasn’t quite ready to answer them.  Depending on Naruto’s response, he may accept the offer if it was better than the alternative.

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously.  “I mean...don’t you get tired of having sex with strangers for money?  Why not let me take you out for something to eat?  I’ll pay and you’ll earn money just for keeping me company.  Isn’t that kinda your job anyway?”

Sasuke stood silently, still weighing his options.  On one hand, Naruto made a _really_ good point.  On another, he was pushing Sasuke’s boundaries.  But was it worse than answering to Kakashi?

“Look,” Naruto sighed, “I know you have intimacy issues or whatever.  It’s fine, I won’t try to kiss you or hold your hand, hell, I don’t even expect sex.  But I think you deserve a break, so just let me treat you to dinner and I’ll pay you for your company.  Deal?”

Sasuke relaxed a little.  He supposed that the moron had a point.  He would get paid without even having to do his job, and honestly, it would be a nice break.  He wouldn’t have to answer any of Kakashi’s questions and if things went well, maybe he could work out a deal with Naruto so that he had a ‘regular’.  If Naruto pushed the boundaries too much, he could always tell him to stop.  Naruto _did_ seem to understand that Sasuke had boundaries and had respected them thus far, so it might even work out in his favor.

“Fine,” Sasuke finally answered.  “But don’t get too close.”

Naruto’s brilliant smile was almost blinding.  “Great!  Let me grab my wallet and we can head out!”

 

☯

 

“Tell me about yourself,” Naruto insisted as they began to eat.  Sasuke simply raised his eyebrows, but didn’t answer.  He wasn’t sure what Naruto was getting at, but he wasn’t about to divulge his life story to some stranger just because he asked.  When Sasuke didn’t say anything, Naruto rolled his eyes and tried again.  “What’s your favorite color?”

Sasuke thought for a moment.  Nothing would come from him answering such an innocent question, so he didn’t seem the harm.  “Violet,” he responded.  “Though I also like various shades of blue.”

Naruto nodded as he brought his chopsticks to his lips, making sure to keep his mouth closed as he chewed his food.  “Mine’s orange,” he said when he finished chewing.  “It’s so bright and happy, like the Sun.”

“The Sun’s yellow, moron,” Sasuke smirked.  He couldn’t help himself; something about goading Naruto brought a smile to his face.

“Well, yeah, but have you ever seen up-close pictures of it?  Like in space?  It’s always orange in those like, science journal pictures.  Besides, my mom was a redhead and it kind of reminds me of her…” he trailed off quietly, remembering his mother.  He wasn’t sure why he’d even mentioned her, but he wasn’t exactly ready to go _there_.

Sasuke, sensing Naruto’s hesitation, didn’t pursue the issue.  He figured that it was something the blond didn’t want to discuss, which Sasuke could surely understand himself.  He decided instead to change the subject and ask one of his own questions.  “So, how long are you staying in that motel room?”

“Oh, probably a couple more weeks,” Naruto responded, not wanting to divulge too much information to his companion.

“Moving?” Sasuke asked, trying to fish for a reason why the group would be spending roughly a month in a motel room.

“No,” Naruto answered, refusing to go into further detail.  He decided to change the topic again.  “What did you want to be when you were younger?”

“What?” Sasuke asked, confused by the abrupt change in topic.  “What do you mean?”

“I mean for a job,” Naruto clarified.  “Like, I’m sure you didn’t always want to be a prostitute, right?  What’s your dream job?”

Sasuke stared at his food for a moment as he thought.  “I never really thought about it,” he admitted.  “I guess I just always assumed I’d be some sort of businessman.”  He wasn’t lying; he _had_ always assumed he would work in business, he had just left out some details.  “What about you?  Did you always plan on living out of motel rooms?”

 Naruto actually managed to laugh, surprising even himself.  “No, definitely not.  I grew up wanting to help people.  I guess my ultimate goal was to work for JDR, Japanese Disaster Relief.  We get a lot of earthquakes and tsunamis and I always wanted to help people, so it only made sense.  I mean, I don’t think they live out of motel rooms, but who knows?”

Sasuke wanted to know exactly what it was that Naruto did now, but he got the feeling that the blond didn’t want to discuss it, so he held his tongue.  “Are you originally from Konoha?” he asked instead, trying to avoid any topic that might be off-limits.

“No, no,” Naruto laughed again.  “Actually, I’m from Tokyo.  It’s so busy there, though.  Places like Konoha are peaceful in comparison.  What about you?”

“I was born and raised in Konoha,” Sasuke admitted.  “But I think I’d prefer Tokyo.  You might find it peaceful, but frankly, it’s quite boring.”

“You’d definitely get more business in Tokyo,” Naruto acknowledged.  Sasuke assumed he was right, but he didn’t want to think about that.  It’s not like he _wanted_ to be a prostitute.  Besides, he wasn’t even sure that he’d have made it this far if it weren’t for Kakashi.

“What do you do for fun, Sasuke?” Naruto asked, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts.

Sasuke stilled.  Most of his time was spent...working.  At home he only ever tried to figure out how to get himself out of the situation he’d found himself in or slept.  He never really did anything for _fun_.  “Not much,” he answered honestly.  “What about you?”

“Same,” Naruto sighed wistfully.  His life with Temari and Shikamaru was full-time.  The closest he came to _fun_ was his relief sex with prostitutes.  Sometimes he wished his life was simpler, but at least now he’d found Sasuke, even if it was temporary.

“We seem to be in the same boat,” Sasuke added.  He had made a decision on his relationship with Naruto.  It seemed as if the blond had just as much trouble revealing things about his own life, and that fact comforted Sasuke.  It made it more likely that Naruto wouldn’t push his luck and he didn’t feel like he’d be presented with such an opportunity any time soon.  Maybe this way Kakashi would leave him alone.  “Naruto, I have a proposition for you.”

 

☯

 

The blond eyed his date suspiciously.  Something about Sasuke’s phrasing had put him on edge, like he was asking Naruto to sell drugs for him, or join him in the prostitution business.  It wouldn’t exactly have been a step _down_ from his current lifestyle, but that didn’t make it desirable.  Naruto decided to proceed carefully as he responded.  “A proposition?”

Sasuke sensed his hesitation and rolled his eyes, somehow knowing that the blond was imagining a worst-case scenario.  “It’s nothing bad, dobe,” he teased Naruto.  “If anything, it might benefit you as well.”

“Oh yeah?” Naruto asked skeptically.  “So what is it?”

“Kakashi wants me to find a ‘regular’- someone who I attend to regularly,” Sasuke explained.  “Normally I would tell him to eat shit, but he’s been particularly annoying about it recently.  If I’m required to have a regular, I’d much rather it be someone who understands boundaries than someone who is always thinking with their dick.”  He left his proposition in the air, feeling that he didn’t really need to spell it out for Naruto.

“So you want me to be your regular?” the blond asked finally.

“Preferably,” Sasuke responded as he took a drink of his water.  He didn’t want Naruto to think that he was grasping at straws; he wasn’t.  If, for some reason, Naruto had any reservations, then Sasuke would tell Kakashi to fuck off with the regular thing.  If Naruto rejected the idea, at least he had tried.

Naruto blushed nervously.  “Well, I mean, I guess,” he muttered.  “If it’ll help you out.  But just to be clear, I wasn’t expecting sex or anything.  I just...like your company, I guess.  It’s nice to spend time with people other than Shikamaru and Temari.”

“Your...roommates?” Sasuke asked, trying to gauge the relevance of the couple in Naruto’s life.  The idea of Naruto spending time like this with other prostitutes didn’t necessarily _bother_ Sasuke, nor did his relationship with his friends.  However, it would benefit him to know how present they would be in his life moving forward.

“Yeah,” Naruto said quietly.  He realized suddenly that Sasuke’s privacy issue sort of ran both ways.  As much as Sasuke didn’t want Naruto digging around in his life, Naruto didn’t want Sasuke digging around in his.  “Do we need to like, form a contract or something?” he asked, trying to refocus.

Sasuke thought about it for a moment.  If he was being completely honest with himself, he wasn’t exactly sure about the details of acquiring a regular.  It had never been something he’d had to deal with and he never thought he’d find himself in such a situation.  Regardless, the blond did seem to have a good point.  “I think that’d be wise,” he agreed.

“That settles it then!”  Naruto exclaimed cheerily.  “We can go over the details next time!”

“Next time,” Sasuke agreed with a small nod.  The knowledge that they were taking this all in stride comforted him somehow.  He would almost say that he was even excited.  Almost.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really appreciative for all the feedback I've received on this story and it really keeps me motivated to continue writing it. Some of you have even been bringing up some points I need to address, so thanks to all of you for help!


	4. The Contract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke discuss their future plans with those in their lives before meeting up to create a contract.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter, it's not as long as I was originally expecting, but I figured I'd reached a good stopping point. For those of you that get weekends off, happy Friday! For those of you like me that don't, happy new chapter day! 
> 
> There's a lot of Kakashi pestering Sasuke in this chapter and a little more about Naruto and the gang, but nothing spectacular. 
> 
> I hope you guys like it, don't forget to tell me what you think!

After dropping Naruto off at his motel room, Sasuke headed to Kakashi’s office to deliver the payment envelope.  For all intents and purposes, Kakashi rented an office in downtown Konoha, trying to keep up the fasçade of running a legitimate business.  His employees were banned from wearing what he referred to as “street clothes” in the office, for obvious reasons, but that had never been a problem for Sasuke.

“You’re home late, Sasuke,” Kakashi joked as he watched the dark-haired man pass through the door.  “I assume your date went well?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him.  He wasn’t sure if Kakashi was aware of their date or if he was just teasing, but he wasn’t amused regardless.  “You finally got your way,” Sasuke growled out.  “I’ve decided to make Naruto my regular, so I’d appreciate it if you got off my ass about it now.”

Kakashi leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on his desk.  “Now Sasuke, what would the fun in that be?”  Kakashi laughed at the glare Sasuke shot him.  “Oh Sasuke, lighten up a little.  I guess I can lay off of you.  Besides, Naruto seems to have that covered now, no?”

“Is this going anywhere, or can I leave now?” Sasuke asked, careful to keep his voice even.

Kakashi rolled his eyes as he sat up again to grab the envelope from Sasuke.  “Jesus,” he grumbled, “I can’t have any fun with you, can I?”

“Is harassing your employees your idea of a good time?  If that’s the case, I could always go elsewhere.”

Kakashi sighed.  “Where, exactly, are you going to go, Sasuke?  I know your reasons for choosing this life, remember?”  Sasuke broke eye contact, looking off to the side.  At Sasuke’s obvious discomfort, Kakashi sighed again and ran his hands through his hair.  “Do you know why I got into this business, Sasuke?”

“Does it matter?” Sasuke asked, skeptically.  He’d never asked about Kakashi’s reasons for getting into the prostitution business.  As far as he was aware, the man had just decided that it was the easiest way to make a quick buck.

“As a matter of fact, it does,” Kakashi responded.  “You know, they say that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, yet it’s illegal in Japan and many other developed nations.  Have you ever wondered why that is, Sasuke?”

“Not particularly,” Sasuke answered, wondering where this was going.  “I’ve had more important matters on my mind.  I thought you understood that.”

“You know, a basic rule of economics states that if a good or service becomes illegal, a black market will be created for it,” Kakashi continued, ignoring Sasuke’s retort.  “So it only makes sense that prostitution continues to exist, despite these...limits.”

“Is this going somewhere?” Sasuke asked, starting to get annoyed.  “Because I don’t have all day to stand around and talk.”

“Is that what you think?” Kakashi asked in response to Sasuke’s complaint as he thumbed through the money in the envelope. “Naruto tipped you well enough to keep you here for the next week, so I wouldn't be so worried about time if I were you.  Enough of that, though, let’s get back to what I was saying.”

Sasuke found himself intrigued about the tip, but remained silent, allowing Kakashi to continue.

“Unfortunately, due to this particular obstacle, the workers in organizations such as ours are often mistreated.  Every one of them has a reason for being there, a story of how they got there, and no one deserves to be treated the way they are.  So, I decided to shake up the industry a little bit.  I might not be changing the world, but people like you can live slightly easier lives because of it.”

Sasuke remained silent, understanding Kakashi’s words to be the truth.  What he didn’t understand, was why the man was lecturing him on it _now_.

“That said,” Kakashi spoke again, sensing Sasuke’s intrigue, “I think I should be allowed to- what was the word you so eloquently used, Sasuke- harass you, wouldn’t you agree?”

Sasuke simply raised an eyebrow in response.  Was that entire story necessary to explain Kakashi’s reason for being a pest?  Sasuke held out his hand for his cut of the money.  “Whatever,” he grumbled.  “Is that all, or can I leave now?”

“Not quite,” Kakashi leaned back again, thoroughly enjoying how much he was getting under Sasuke’s skin.  “I was curious as to how you intended to proceed with Naruto, seeing that he’s now your regular.”

Sasuke took a deep breath.  Of course his punk ass boss was going to probe him regardless.  “We’re going to create a contract.”

“A contract,” Kakashi repeated.  “That’s a good idea.  Before you finalize it, why don’t you let me look over it?”

“Is that really necessary?” Sasuke asked, uncomfortable with the idea of others viewing his agreement with Naruto.

“Considering I’m your employer and this is work-related?  Yes.  I have your best interests in mind, Sasuke,” Kakashi reassured him.  “So far he hasn’t caused any problems, but I don’t want him taking advantage of you.”

“And you don’t think I can make sure of that myself?” Sasuke scowled.

“That’s not it,” Kakashi responded calmly.  “I just want to make sure you’ve accounted for everything.  You’re new to this, after all.”

Sasuke scoffed, turning his head away.  “Whatever.  Can I go now?”

Kakashi could tell that Sasuke had reached his limit, so he decided he could let the man go for now.  “Very well,” he sighed, waving his hand in the air, “but I want you to come see me once you have that contract.”

Sasuke grumbled his agreement as he walked out the door.  And here he thought Kakashi was going to lay off of him.  Apparently, he’d been wrong.

 

☯

 

“Hey cutie, you come here often?” Temari winked at Naruto as he walked in the door.  Naruto simply rolled his eyes at the obvious taunt.  Temari loved to pick on Naruto, but he knew she meant well.  “How was your _daate_?” she sang, continuing her teasing.

“Honestly?” Naruto responded as he sat down on the bed, removing his socks, “surprisingly well.”

Shikamaru sighed, finding himself inconvenienced by the conversation.  “I’m gonna go take a shower,” he grumbled.  “Enjoy your girl talk.”

“Don’t act too annoyed babe, you wouldn’t want Naruto to think you actually cared, now,” Temari retorted at her boyfriend’s retreat.  She rolled her eyes as the door closed behind him.  “Don’t mind him, Naru, he’ll want to know once you’re asleep or away somewhere; I’ll just have to fill him in on the details later.”  Naruto shrugged, honestly indifferent to Shikamaru’s opinion on his interactions outside of the two of them.  “So, tell me about this date.”

“Well I took him out for a bite to eat, but you already knew that.  We talked, but not about anything too personal.  I think we both have...baggage of sorts,” Naruto explained quietly.  He was honestly kind of curious about Sasuke’s life, but considering he wasn’t any more willing to divulge the details of his own, he couldn’t really expect such a thing from the other man.

“Did you learn more about him like you wanted to?” Temari asked, genuinely curious.

“Technically, yes,” Naruto admitted.  “Like I said, we didn’t discuss anything too personal, but I learned some things about him.”

“Oh, yeah?” Temari asked, intrigued.  “Like what?”

“His favorite color, what he wanted to do when he was younger, where he grew up.  Just basic things,” Naruto elaborated.

“Where he grew up?  What he wanted to do when he was younger?  How is that not personal, Naruto?”  Temari wasn’t chastising Naruto, but she was growing more worried about her friend.

“I mean, I guess it is, but like, him knowing that I grew up in Tokyo doesn’t tell him anything about my current life.  What he wanted to do when he was younger is meaningless for him now, just as it is for me.  Knowing what he likes doesn’t tell me who he is or what he’s been through, and the same goes for me,” Naruto tried to reason.

Temari simply stared at the blond in front of her.  She knew that he was treading in dangerous waters.  If everything from this point forward played out just right, he might stand a chance with the man.  The odds of that were slim though, so she wasn’t going to hold her breath.  “So what happened after the date?  You find a dumpster to fuck him behind?  Tired of giving me and Shika a free show?”

Naruto scratched his cheek.  “Umm, we didn’t exactly have sex.  I kind of wanted him to realize that I’m not _that_ sleazy.  But he did propose that I become his regular to keep his boss off his back.  Next time we meet up, we’re gonna make a contract.”

Temari blinked in surprise.   _That_ was something she hadn’t expected.  Perhaps Naruto wasn’t as hopeless as she had thought.  It was still highly unlikely that this would end well, though.  “Don’t forget that we’re leaving in a couple weeks, Naruto.”

“I know, I know,” Naruto sighed.  “We’ll figure something out.”

“ _We’ve_ already got something figured out, Naruto.   _You_ need to figure out where your loyalties lie, though,” Temari suggested.

“What do you mean?  You and Shika have always been there for me.  Of course my loyalties lie with you two,” Naruto insisted.

Temari hummed in acknowledgement, not satisfied by Naruto’s response.  She and Shikamaru _had_ always been there for him, but his thoughts seemed to be occupied by this one man.

“You guys done yet?” Shikamaru asked as he emerged from the bathroom.

“Yeah, we’re done,” Naruto rolled his eyes as he lay back on the bed.  Temari seemed to have developed a negative opinion of his agreement with Sasuke and he wasn’t in the mood to defend himself any longer.

Temari sighed, but said no more.  She didn’t want Naruto to get hurt, but he really seemed to be setting himself up for failure.

 

☯

 

“We need to start it out with what our agreement is,” Sasuke explained to Naruto.  The two boys had decided to take their second date/contract meeting to a local coffee shop where they could spend a significant amount of time without being disturbed.

“Which includes...meeting up?” Naruto asked.  This was his first time forming any sort of contract and he hadn’t really had any schooling that would help him in this case.  He wondered briefly if Sasuke had, but that was none of his business, so he brushed it off.

“Maybe something along the lines of, ‘The business union of the parties involved shall include a minimum of two consultations per week.  The events of these consultations shall remain private among the parties involved,’” Sasuke suggested.

“Wow,” Naruto was honestly shocked.  “That was really good, Sasuke.  You _should_ be a businessman.”

Sasuke ignored Naruto’s comment and continued to make suggestions.  “We should probably exchange phone numbers, too, since we’ll need to keep in contact with each other.”

“Umm...I don’t exactly have a phone…” Naruto trailed off, trying to be as vague as possible.  “I can offer you a key card to the motel room, though?”

“That works,” Sasuke agreed.  “In exchange for my private cell number, I’ll receive a key to your room.  So… ‘As a part of this union, the parties will exchange a form of contact to be agreed upon by each party.’”

“We have to list limitations too, right?” Naruto asked.

“Of course,” Sasuke agreed.  “‘Limitations include, but are not limited to, discussions of either party’s lifestyle such as: details of employment, familial situation, housing situation, or anything that occurred prior to the original meeting of the parties, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon.’”  

“‘No unprofessional relationship shall develop from this union.’”  Sasuke stared at the contract thoughtfully.  “Then we finish it with, ‘Failure to comply with any of the terms above results in a breach of contract and the union is therefore terminated.’”

“That sounds perfect to me, Sasuke,” Naruto nodded.  “Do we just sign it now and it’s done?”

Sasuke sighed, wishing it was that easy.  “Actually, I have to run it by Kakashi first.  After his approval though, we can sign it.”

“So now we just wait?” Naruto asked impatiently.

“Pretty much,” Sasuke agreed.  “It seems fine to me, though.  We should be able to sign it next time we meet.  After we sign it, you can exchange your room key for my cell number.”

“So...I’ll see you next time?”  Naruto asked, not sure how to part at this point.

Sasuke almost felt guilty for the flash of disappointment he saw in Naruto’s eyes, but he refused to let it affect him.  “Next time,” he nodded before taking his leave.

Naruto sat silently as he watched Sasuke’s retreating form.  He hoped that next time this contract thing would finally be sorted out.  He was already counting down the minutes until he met with Sasuke again.

 

☯

 

“Here,” Sasuke tossed the contract onto Kakashi’s desk.  He wanted to get out of the man’s office before Kakashi could protest, but the white-haired man was too quick.

“Sasuke,” he said simply, stopping the other in his tracks.  “I haven’t dismissed you yet.”

Sasuke scoffed, but remained in the room.  He turned to face his boss.  If he was required to be here for this, then the least he could do was watch as Kakashi went through the contract.  

Kakashi opened the manila envelope that contained the contract and Naruto’s dues for that day.  Setting the money aside, he began carefully going over the details of the contract.  Sasuke watched him, annoyed that he couldn’t discern what the man was thinking as he read the document.

“I have two amendments to make,” Kakashi said, grabbing a pen.  “First, this union shall not interfere with any of your other assignments.  Second, Naruto must be held responsible for his payment, which will remain what it has been up until this point.”  He finished jotting down his notes and initialed it before returning it to Sasuke.  “You did well, Sasuke.”  He grabbed the envelope and quickly took his cut, handing the rest to Sasuke, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort to continue counting the sizable tips that Naruto always left the man.  “You are dismissed.”

Sasuke silently left the room, annoyed at how long the process was taking.  At least it was almost over.  The next time he saw Naruto, this would all be settled.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now, the next chapter will pick up on Sasuke and Naruto finalizing the contract and spending more time together. We should be reaching a point fairly soon where we learn more about their lives!


	5. The Sun And The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke finalize their contract and Naruto insists on spending the rest of the day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to get this chapter out as quickly as possible, so I hope it doesn't sound rushed. Essentially, I just wanted to cover a day of them spending time together and I seemed get there, so I figured it works. Now that I'm working on yet another fic, it may take longer for updates from now on, so let me go ahead and apologize for that. Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter and don't forget to tell me what you think!

“All we have to do is sign it,” Sasuke explained to Naruto.  They decided to meet up at the coffee shop they had visited previously to make things easier.

“That’s easy enough,” Naruto said, pulling out a pen.  When the blond had finished signing the document, he handed it and the pen to Sasuke.

 _Uzumaki Naruto_ , Sasuke read Naruto’s signature silently to himself.  Why did that name sound familiar?  He shrugged it off as he signed his own name and returned the document to its envelope.  He didn’t exactly want Naruto learning his surname, and the blond had no reason to know it.  

Sasuke grabbed his receipt and wrote down his cell phone number before handing both the receipt and pen over to Naruto.  In exchange, Naruto handed over a key card to his motel room.

“So, now what?” Naruto asked, unsure of where to go from there.  He’d never engaged in this part of a prostitution service before, not that he was complaining.  He was perfectly fine with being Sasuke’s regular.

“What do you want to do?  This is technically a consultation, so you’re paying for my time regardless.  We could go do something else or end it here; the choice is yours.”  Normally Sasuke didn’t give his clients any information suggesting that they could still spend time together, but for some reason Naruto was different.  Spending time with Naruto wasn’t as exhausting as spending time with other clients, and Sasuke knew there was more to it then not having sex all the time.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware of the effect the man was having on him, but he refused to acknowledge it; he had more important things to worry about.

“Hmm,” Naruto thought aloud.  “Do you like to watch TV, Sasuke?  Or movies?”

“Not really,” Sasuke shrugged.  He technically owned a TV, but he never really turned it on.  He found televised entertainment boring and the news just depressed him.

“Jesus, Sasuke, what do you do when you’re at home?  You don’t work all the time, do you?” he asked nervously.  He hoped that Sasuke wasn’t subjected to being a prostitute all the time.

Sasuke snorted at the ridiculous inquiry.  “No, moron, I don’t work all the time.  I guess while I’m at home I mostly read.”  Technically he wasn’t lying.  He did plenty of reading while he was at home, even if it wasn’t necessarily recreational.

“Why don’t we go to a bookstore?” Naruto suggested.  “If you like to read, maybe I can help you pick out a book or something.  And they always have coffee shops attached and you seem to _really_ like your coffee.”

Sasuke smirked, not entirely surprised that Naruto had picked up on his caffeine habit.  He wasn’t exactly subtle about the fact that coffee is what kept him going.  “Very well then,” Sasuke agreed.  “Take me to your favorite bookstore.”

 

☯

 

“Okay,” Naruto admitted as he and Sasuke stepped into the bookstore, “this isn’t actually my _favorite_ bookstore.  My _favorite_ is in Tokyo, but that’s a little far from Konoha.  Maybe I’ll take you there some other time, but for now, this will do.”

Sasuke looked around at the familiar store.  Perhaps Naruto hadn’t taken him to _his_ favorite bookstore, but somehow he had managed to find Sasuke’s.  Sasuke inhaled deeply, having always found the scent of books soothing.  He quickly made a beeline for the coffee shop, following the _other_ scent his nose had picked up.

“Already?” Naruto laughed as he followed Sasuke.  “We just left a coffee shop, how do you already need more?”

“I always need more,” Sasuke grumbled as he placed his order and dug through his pocket.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he added his own drink to the order and paid the barista before Sasuke could finish fishing through his pockets.  “Seriously, dude, I’m your date.  Let me take care of this, okay?”

“This will end up being the most expensive date you’ve ever had if you really insist on paying for my caffeine addiction,” Sasuke stated, trying to warn Naruto about what he was getting himself into.

“I don’t mind,” the blond shrugged.  “You of all people should realize that matters involving money aren’t a problem for me.”

“Suit yourself,” Sasuke grabbed his drink, handing Naruto his.  “So now that we’re here, what do want to do?”

“As many things as there are to do at bookstores, Sasuke, I figured we’d look at books,” Naruto responded dryly.  “What kind of books are you into?”

“That may be a bit out of your depth, Naruto,” Sasuke warned, not quite ready to reveal what he did with his spare time.

“Whatever it is, Sasuke, I can handle it.  Trust me,” Naruto reassured the dark-haired man.

Sasuke stared at Naruto contemplatively before finally answering.  “I’m particularly interested in organized crime.  Obviously, I find myself looking into the Yakuza quite a bit,” he explained calmly.

“And here I thought you were all about fairy tales with happy endings,” Naruto joked.  Naruto wasn’t fooled, though.  There was something darker about Sasuke and he found himself intrigued, even though he knew it wasn’t an appropriate topic to pursue.  Instead, he chose to laugh it off.

“Whatever,” Sasuke smiled even though he was trying to convince the blond that he was annoyed.  “I already told you I’d wanted to be a businessman.  Most successful businessmen have to deal with the Yakuza.  Consider it research; I want to know what I’m up against.”

“And what has your research told you thus far?” Naruto asked.  Sasuke’s explanation seemed fairly valid, however, he wasn’t convinced that was all there was to it.

Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration.  It wasn’t frustration at Naruto, but at the fact that his research had been less than helpful so far.  It had been years, yet he still hadn’t found what he was looking for.  “Nothing,” Sasuke grumbled.  “At least, nothing of any use to me.”

As much as Naruto wanted to learn more about Sasuke and his research, he sensed that the man was growing frustrated and he knew this wasn’t a good time to ask more about it.  It definitely crossed the line of what they were willing to discuss with each other.  Maybe when they knew each other better they could open up more, but their “relationship” was still too new.  “Well then,” Naruto said cheerily, trying to lighten Sasuke up.  “Let’s go get you a new book!”

 

☯

 

Sasuke quietly flipped through his new book as he and Naruto exited the bookstore.  Naruto had insisted on purchasing something for Sasuke, and although he disagreed, Sasuke had found it easier to just go along with the overzealous blond.

Naruto looked around distractedly, shielding his eyes from the blinding Sun.  “Hey Sasuke,” he looked at the dark-haired man beside him.  “What’s your favorite food?”

“Hm?” Sasuke responded, still flipping through his book.  It contained quite a bit of information, and he hoped he would be able to make use of it.

“Your favorite food?” Naruto repeated, “What is it?”

Sasuke looked up from his book to stare at the blond quizzically.  “Onigiri.*  Why?”

Naruto smiled at Sasuke and the man almost groaned at what he knew was about to come.  “Well, let’s go grab some onigiri!”

That’s how Sasuke found himself being dragged throughout Konoha in search of a convenience store that sold onigiri.  Once they had reached one, Naruto insisted on going in and buying them alone.

While Sasuke was waiting alone outside, he returned to his book, distractedly flipping through the pages.  Naruto was not only paying for his company, but for literally every aspect of every date they’d gone on.  Naruto was being good to him, almost too good.  Naruto had even gone out of his way to follow all of his ground rules.  He never touched or kissed him, tried to keep everything shallow, and they hadn’t even had sex since the first night because Naruto wanted to make Sasuke as comfortable as possible.  It was like having a boyfriend, only Sasuke _didn’t_ have a boyfriend.  He didn’t _want_ a boyfriend.

Sasuke had always avoided serious relationships in the past.  He knew that if he were to get involved with someone, eventually he would have to have a conversation about his life.  He’d never found someone he was comfortable discussing his situation with, so he avoided relationships like the plague.  He tried to ignore the fleeting thought that Naruto might be an exception to that rule.  He definitely wasn’t going to go there.

“You really like that book, huh?” Naruto interrupted Sasuke’s thoughts as he emerged from the convenience store.  He was carrying a bag with no less than a dozen onigiri.  Sasuke eyed it questioningly.  

“I got a variety,” he explained.  “I wasn’t sure what you like, so I just grabbed a couple of each.”

“So now what?” Sasuke asked.  “Are we just going to eat those in the middle of the street?”

“I didn’t exactly think that far,” Naruto laughed nervously, resulting in an eye roll from Sasuke.  “I guess I need to think things through, huh?”

Sasuke snorted his agreement, causing Naruto to roll his eyes.  “Fine, you ass.  What do _you_ do when you need to think?”

“Don’t you have your own methods?” Sasuke questioned, raising an eyebrow.  Surely the blond had thought _something_ through before, right?

“I mean, usually I consult Shika and Temari, but…” he trailed off.

“Yeah, whatever,” Sasuke sighed.  “I go for walks,” he explained.  “There’s a park not far from here.”

“So we can eat there and then take a walk?” Naruto suggested hopefully.

“Sure,” Sasuke shrugged.  “If that’s what you want.  This _is_ a consultation, so I get paid regardless.”

“Let’s get going then!” Naruto smiled, waiting for Sasuke to lead the way.

 

☯

 

“It’s such a nice day,” Naruto commented as he stuffed his face.  “I love the Sun.  It’s like a ball of happiness in the sky.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto in disbelief, eating his own onigiri in a more civilized manner.   _A ball of happiness in the sky_?  Sasuke didn’t exactly agree.

Sensing his hesitation, Naruto spoke again.  “What’s your favorite time of day, Sasuke?”

“I like the night,” he admitted quietly.  “It’s calm, quiet, and there are fewer people around.”

“I guess,” Naruto replied.  “You really don’t like people, huh?”

“They ask unnecessary questions.  I’m better off without them.”

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment, wondering if he’d pushed the man too far.  Sure, Sasuke could just cuss him out and leave, but this _was_ a consultation and he still needed to pay the man.

“Personal questions,” Sasuke clarified, sensing Naruto’s hesitation.  “Don’t get so worked up over nothing.”

“Yeah, okay,” Naruto said, standing up and dusting rice off his lap.  “Are we gonna go on this walk or not?”

“Hn.  I’m waiting on you, moron.”

 

☯

 

After their walk through the park, Sasuke had taken Naruto to the river, promising the blond that they wouldn’t be bothered and that they could relax as night finally befell the city.

Naruto, of course, still wasn’t trying to have sex with him, but he liked Sasuke’s idea.  They lay back on the grass, watching the sky change and looking at the stars.  It was beautiful and Naruto realized that he’d never taken the time to appreciate the beauty of the night sky.  Perhaps Sasuke was on to something.

“What’s one place you’ve always wanted to travel?” Naruto asked absentmindedly, surprising even himself.

“Travel?” Sasuke clarified, not sure where this was going.

“Yeah,” Naruto sighed.  He could have backed out, but now he really was curious.  “Like, is there one place you’ve always wanted to go?”

“What about you?” Sasuke retorted, wanting to know Naruto’s answer first.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.  “I travel a lot, but I never thought about where I wanted to go.  We just go where we have to go.”

Sasuke turned to face Naruto, who was still staring wistfully at the sky.  He wondered what it was about the man that _forced_ him to travel, but without him questioning what he actually wanted.  He decided to answer the question.  It’s not like that would explain his situation to Naruto.

“There’s a sunken Egyptian city in the Mediterranean Sea.  My brother used to tell me about it all the time.  You can’t exactly get to it without diving, but it sounds interesting.  Peaceful.  An ancient city on the seafloor.  It’s not like there are many people under the sea.”

“Wait,” Naruto sat up abruptly, turning to Sasuke, “you have a brother?!”

“Yeah,” Sasuke answered, but refused to elaborate.  Naruto got the hint.

Naruto began to dig around in his pocket, finally producing the payment envelope.  “Here,” he handed it to Sasuke, “I have one more question for you, but you may not like it.  If you don’t want to answer it, that’s fine, you can just walk.”

Sasuke eyed the envelope suspiciously before accepting it.  He peeked inside, verifying that there _was_ money, before turning back to Naruto as an indication to proceed.

As their eyes met, Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat.  The light of the full moon reflected off Sasuke’s pale skin magnificently and he had to turn away to avoid staring.  “Why prostitution?”  

“It’s easy,” Sasuke shrugged, not really wanting to go into detail.  Naruto hadn’t pissed him off yet, but he was right in his assumption that he was toeing the line.

“But I thought you wanted to be a businessman,” Naruto protested.

“I did,” Sasuke explained.  “Instead I’m a prostitute.  Not everyone’s dreams come true, Naruto.  Why don’t you work in disaster relief?”

“I...it just…” Naruto stammered, not sure he could explain.

“Look,” Sasuke said, standing.  “I got into prostitution at a young age; too young an age for a businessman.  That’s all there is to it and that’s my reality.  I’ll see you next time,” he dismissed himself, turning to leave.

As Sasuke started to walk toward Kakashi’s office, he heard Naruto speak once more.  “I guess we have more in common than I thought.”

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Onigiri=Rice Balls
> 
> I hope you guys liked the chapter! As long as everything goes according to plan, shit should start to get real in the next chapter, so get ready for that!


	6. Increased Security

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke wakes up to an odd call from Kakashi and things only get weirder from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of Naruto in this chapter, but plenty of Sasuke and Kakashi. This is where shit is really going to start to get real, so brace yourselves for that. As always, commentary is welcome and appreciated!

Sasuke woke up to the sound of his phone ringing loudly in his ear.  He cracked open one eye to look at the caller ID, groaning when he saw the call was from Kakashi.  

“What the fuck do you want?” he spat into the receiver.  Perhaps he was being a little too hateful toward the man who was technically his boss, but he wasn’t exactly in a position to care.  He had never been a morning person and Kakashi had known as much.  It was the man’s own fault if Sasuke bit his head off.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Kakashi greeted, immediately starting off the conversation with his favorite hobby: goading Sasuke.  “Did you sleep well?”

“If you don’t tell me what the fuck this is about, I’m breaking my phone and then I _will_ sleep well,” Sasuke hissed in response.

“Temper, temper,” Kakashi _tske_ d.  “If you break your phone now, then I suspect you might have difficulty reaching me with the questions you’ll inevitably have later…” he trailed off in a sing-song voice.

“If I had any questions, don’t you think I would have asked them?” Sasuke responded bitterly.  “What burning questions do you think I need answered while I’m sleeping, anyway?”

Sasuke heard Kakashi’s laugh over the phone before his boss began to speak again.  “There are probably a few involving your relationship with Naruto that might affect your dreams,” he mumbled under his breath.

Sasuke was pretty sure he heard what Kakashi had said, but when he opened his mouth to respond, Kakashi began speaking once more.  “Turn on your TV, Sasuke.”

Sasuke grunted, but did as he was told.  He angrily threw his sheets off of himself and stomped into the living room to turn on the underused appliance.  “Kakashi,” Sasuke sighed once he turned it on, “what the _fuck_ am I looking for?”

“Calm down, Sasuke, I’m sure you’ll notice it when it comes up.  You _are_ looking at the news, right?”

“ _No_ ,” Sasuke sneered sarcastically, “I’m watching the porn channel I subscribe to so I can waste all my money.  What the fuck do you _think_?”

Kakashi chuckled, but responded anyway.  “Just making sure, Sasuke.  You may not subscribe to a porn channel, but many of your co-workers do.”

“Whatever,” Sasuke rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to the TV.  He realized almost immediately that he wouldn’t have to wait very long to see what Kakashi was trying to show him.

 _“...A mass robbery of local convenience stores.  Not a single convenience store in the city was spared.  As a part of the accompanying investigation, security will be greatly increased_ _around the city.  Citizens can expect to see a member of the police force on every corner and in every store.  The public is urged to not be frightened, the police are simply performing their job…"_

“ _Holy shit_ ,” Sasuke whispered into the receiver, listening to Kakashi’s sigh on the other end of the line.  “What kind of criminal mastermind could rob _every_ convenience store in the area?”

“More importantly, who realized Konoha had such a sizable police force?” Kakashi commented.  “I think it goes without saying that we all need to lay low until this dies down.  I figure in about a week or so, whether they’ve found something or not, there will be something else that surfaces and everyone will forget about it, given the typical short attention span of people these days.  For now, enjoy your time off.  I’ll call you when I think it’s safe to resume our activities.”

“Wait,” Sasuke stopped Kakashi from hanging up when he realized that he _couldn’t_ abstain from working for an entire week.  “What about my contract with Naruto?”

“Ah, yes,” Kakashi smiled, rummaging through his desk.  “‘...a minimum of two consultations per week…’” he read from the document.  “I think this is an exception, don’t you, Sasuke?  I wouldn’t consider it a breach of contract in this situation, but you’ll have to talk to Naruto about that.  Technically, a phone call can be considered a consultation.  Do you have his cell phone number?”

“No,” Sasuke admitted, “I don’t think he has his own phone.  Considering he uses prostitution services regularly, it would be stupid for him to.”

“It would also put us at risk,” Kakashi acknowledged.  “So it’s best for us that he doesn’t, despite the current circumstances.  Unless he contacts you first, you’ll have to go pay him a visit, but not until I say it’s okay.  It’s way too risky right now.  Even if you don’t meet your weekly consultation goal this once, I think it’s something you should discuss with him.  After all, this puts him in an equally binding position.  He’s probably being extra careful to keep you safe too, Sasuke.”

Sasuke grunted his response.  Kakashi was probably right, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.  “So I have to wait a week to figure out if the contract is voided or not,” Sasuke growled.  He didn’t want to admit it to Kakashi, but he’d grown accustomed to his relationship with Naruto.  He knew he could trust the blond man, and that wasn’t likely to ever show in another client.

Of course, Kakashi was already aware of Sasuke’s growing admiration for the blond, but he held his tongue.  He was sure that Naruto wouldn’t let his bond with Sasuke fall apart anyway, so he wasn’t worried.

“You’ve got a week, Sasuke,” Kakashi said finally.  “Why don’t you take a vacation or something?”

Sasuke thought about it for a moment, silently shaking his head.  Where would he go, anyway?  “Just let me know when I can talk to Naruto, Kakashi,” he said quietly before hanging up the phone.  He wasn’t sure how long this was going to last, but he hoped it’d be over soon.  He was ready for things to get back to normal.

 

☯

 

“Sasuke!” Naruto awoke with a jolt.  Still disoriented from his sleep, he didn’t recognize his surroundings.

Temari and Shikamaru exchanged meaningful glances as they sat down on either side of him.  Temari pulled him into a comforting hug.

“Sasuke’s not here, Naruto,” she said sadly.  “I think…” she sighed, bracing herself for what she was about to say.  “I think it’s about time to close that chapter of your life, Naruto.  You might never see Sasuke again.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Shikamaru reaffirmed with a nod.  “If you meet up with Sasuke again, it could get you both in some serious trouble.”

“Sasuke…” Naruto whimpered into Temari’s shoulder.  When she looked down, she realized that he’d already fallen back asleep.  It was likely that Naruto hadn’t heard a word they’d said.

“He’s passed out,” she sighed again.

“Better that than the alternative,” Shikamaru shrugged.  “We’ll have to deal with this eventually, but for now, just let him sleep.

“Yeah,” Temari agreed, looking out the window sadly.  She had feared that her friend would get hurt, and now she and Shika had to pick up the pieces.

 

☯

 

“Good news, Sasuke,” Kakashi greeted him over the phone.  “You can now leave your house.  I know you wanted to get out and go see all the people who have been missing your beautiful face around town,” he teased the young man, knowing how much Sasuke hated human interaction.

“So I can go see Naruto now and ask him about the contract,” Sasuke suggested.

“Not quite,” Kakashi chuckled at Sasuke’s obvious impatience.  “You can leave the house, but venturing to contact Naruto is still too risky, for both of you.  If he contacts you first, then that’s fine, but I can’t condone you showing up to his shady motel room under the pretense of ‘discussing business’.  It’d be less obvious to walk around with a giant sign proclaiming that you’re a prostitute.”

Sasuke huffed, but didn’t respond.  He was growing weary of waiting for the opportunity to contact Naruto.  He didn’t want the contract to end up voided because of something stupid that neither of them could control.  He really wished Naruto would hurry up and call him; the idiot had his number and a phone call _was_ a consultation.

 “You don’t want either of you to be at risk because of something so stupid, Sasuke,” Kakashi responded to Sasuke’s silence.  “You both need to lay low right now.  Living out of a shady motel room probably already has a target painted on his back, Sasuke, and I’m sure you’re already aware of this.  Just give it some time, I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“So why, exactly, did you call me, Kakashi?” Sasuke spat, growing more frustrated at the conversation.

“I called, Sasuke, to let you know that security has dwindled enough for you to be able to leave your house.  So, you know, if you plan on eating, feel free to grab some groceries.  Might I recommend any convenience store in the city?  They need as much business as they can get right now, given their current situation.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me until I could contact Naruto?” Sasuke asked vehemently.

“You did,” Kakashi acknowledged.  “But I figured this was equally as important.  Go support your local businesses, Sasuke.”

“Don’t call me again until I can contact Naruto,” Sasuke snapped, hanging up the phone.

Sighing, he stalked over to the closet he kept his jacket in and grabbed it in frustration.  Even though he was pissed at Kakashi, he would take the man’s advice.  He did have a point, after all.

 

☯

 

“So I can go see Naruto, now?”  Sasuke answered Kakashi’s call impatiently.  It had actually been a little over a week, but Kakashi had decided to play it safe and business had yet to resume.

“Well hello to you too, Sasuke,” Kakashi chuckled as he teased the younger man.  

“That’s not an answer, Kakashi,” Sasuke growled.  He had waited too long and he was about to come out of his skin trying to figure out what the fuck was going on and if he would have to go back to servicing regular johns.  He desperately hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

“Fine,” Kakashi sighed in defeat.  “Yes, you can go see your boyfriend.  Don’t do anything, though.  This is strictly an informational visit.  It’s still too dangerous to resume our business practices.  I think we’ll be giving it another week or so, but it’s hard to tell.  The cops have stayed on top of this one.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Sasuke dismissed.  “I’m gonna go see what’s up with this contract.  Call me when we need to get back to work, Kakashi.”

 

☯

 

Sasuke walked passed the motel reception building, nodding to the cop next to the desk.  He wasn’t a guest there, nor was he trying to rent a room.  To anyone who didn’t know any better, he just looked like he was on a walk.

He made his way over to the unit that Naruto stayed in and slid the key card into the slot.  As the indicator turned green, he pushed the door open, only to discover that the room was empty.  

Without acknowledging any of the thoughts in his head, he dropped the key card inside the room, shut the door, and continued on his stroll.

He would have to wait for Naruto to make a move after all.

 

☯

 

“Where are we?” Naruto glared Temari down when she awoke in her and Shika’s bed on the other side of the room.

She sighed, not wanting to have to deal with this when she first woke up, but she also knew that it needed to be addressed.  She shook Shika awake so they could have this conversation as a group.  “What gave it away?” she asked quietly.

“Well, for one, this is an entirely different room,” Naruto growled from his bed.  “So I thought, maybe we switched rooms for some reason.  But I found that not to be the case when I opened the _f_ _ucking_ door, Temari.  We’re not even _i_ _n_ Konoha anymore.  So _where.  The fuck.  Are we?_ ” Naruto stressed his question angrily.

“Naruto,” she tried to reason, “you know we couldn’t stay there, right?  There were cops _everywhere_.  Our activities aren’t exactly police-friendly, Naruto.  What would you have told them if Sasuke had shown up, anyway?”

“I don’t know, but I would have come up with something!” Naruto lashed out.  Temari found herself rather relieved that Naruto had slept during their bus ride, or he might have thrown a fit and _walked_ back to Konoha.

“Naruto, it was too dangerous.  Do you have no concern for your own livelihood?” she asked, frustrated.

Naruto crossed his arms as he lay back on his bed angrily.  Who were Temari and Shika to take Sasuke away from him?  Or rather, to take _him_ away from Sasuke?

“It’s over, Naruto,” Shika said quietly.  “Things between you and Sasuke can’t continue; it’s too dangerous for both of you.  It’s best to just leave things like this.”

Naruto glared at his roommates, but didn’t pursue his argument.  He had Sasuke’s number; if he played nice with them, he would be able to get his hands on another disposable phone and contact him eventually.  “So where are we?” he asked again, calmly this time.

Temari smiled, seeing that Naruto had given up fighting with them.  “Welcome to Sunagakure*, home of the Ichibi** organization Shukaku***!”

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sunagakure: The Sand Village  
> **Ichibi: One-Tailed Beast  
> ***Shukaku: The One-Tailed Beast's Name  
> More on the significance of these later, for now, this is all you need to know.
> 
> So, Konoha is essentially on lock down and Naruto has woken up in an entirely different city, despite his wishes. Naruto should be able to contact Sasuke in the next chapter, but no promises that Sasuke will be happy with him. Thanks for reading! With any luck the next chapter should be up within the next 2 weeks!


	7. Sunagakure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke discusses his situation with Kakashi. Naruto, Temari, and Shikamaru explore the city they now reside in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to get out, I just can't seem to get a rhythm down with these things. This chapter is about half-Naruto and half-Sasuke as they both try to figure out what's left of their business agreement.

“He’s gone?” Kakashi asked incredulously.  He usually had a pretty good read on people, so it surprised him that the blond had apparently up and left without a word.

Sasuke stared out the window, watching the rain fall peacefully.  He didn’t feel very at peace, despite the soothing sounds of the water droplets hitting the window.  He was warring with himself internally.  He had actually started to slightly let his guard down around the blond, something he never did.  It betrayed a level of trust he had for the other that he wasn’t quite ready to admit to himself.  Now that Naruto had up and disappeared, he just felt...alone.  It had been years since he’d let himself feel like that, and he couldn’t believe he let himself fall into that trap once again.

Feelings only ever resulted in pain, getting close to people only resulted in loss, and becoming complacent- or worse, comfortable- only made it all more difficult.  It was the primary reason he tried to keep people out of his life.  You can’t lose what you don’t have.

“He has your cell phone number, right?”  Kakashi asked, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts.  Sasuke turned to glare at the man.

“You know he does,” Sasuke growled at his boss.

Kakashi shrugged, ignoring Sasuke’s glare as he propped his feet up on his desk, leaning back in his chair.  “Then it’s only a matter of time.  I’m sure he’ll call.  Until then...what are your plans once business resumes?”

“ _If_ business resumes,” Sasuke scowled.  “We’ve already put it off longer than you expected to.  Security doesn’t seem to be dwindling at all.”

“Business _will_ resume, Sasuke,” Kakashi assured him.  “ _Every_ convenience store in the city just got robbed; that’s a pretty big deal.  The entire city lost a lot of revenue all at once.  Either they’ll find who’s at fault, or they’ll slowly give in; it’s only a matter of time.  They can’t keep this up forever.  If all else fails, we’ll just have to find a way to be more discreet.  Everything will be fine Sasuke, trust me.”

“I wish they’d just hurry up and find the asshole who did this and throw them in jail to rot.  I can’t exactly support myself while there’s security guards standing on every fucking corner,” Sasuke spat.

“I know, I know,” Kakashi tried to calm him down.  “Like I said, if I need to, I can change our business model.  In the meantime, though, what are your plans?  Are you ready to go back to seeing regular johns, or do you want to wait for Naruto?”

Sasuke fell silent as he thought it over.  “Give Naruto another week.  If he can’t find himself in a position in which he can contact me in another week’s time, then I have no use for him.”  Without another word, he turned and went to leave.

Kakashi sighed as he watched Sasuke walk through the door.  The young man was as stubborn as always about his feelings.  Though he was surprised that Naruto had seemingly vanished, he was sure the blond man would turn up.  He and Sasuke seemed to have a magnetic pull toward each other and he was sure that neither could resist it for long.  It would be interesting to see how things played out from here.

 

☯

 

“Is it always so hot here?” Naruto whined as he, Temari, and Shikamaru walked through the streets of Suna*.  They had decided to enjoy their freedom while they still had it; before too long, they knew they’d be spending the majority of their days in their current shoddy motel room.

“Have some respect for my hometown, Naruto,” Temari scowled at her friend.  “And yes, it _is_ always this hot here.  It’s in the middle of a fucking desert, what do you expect?”

“I don’t know,” Naruto groaned, “it was starting to get cold in Konoha and now we’re back to scalding hot temperatures.  It’s all so confusing.”

Temari ignored Naruto’s mention of Konoha.  She knew her friend was still bitter about leaving Sasuke behind, but it was for his own good.  Besides, they had a mission to complete.

“So what are we doing here, again?” Naruto asked with a bit of hostility.  He didn’t _want_ to leave Konoha and he was having trouble remembering how he even _got_ to Sunagakure.  He wouldn’t put it above his roommates to drug him and drag him to another city.  Even if they _did_ have a point, he couldn’t help but feel some animosity toward his oldest friends.  Waking up in a different city was nothing new to him, but this was right after he’d begun to get close to Sasuke.  How did they expect him to help with _any_ mission if he couldn’t even keep his mind off the dark-haired man who had captivated his thoughts since they first met.

Temari rolled her eyes and scoffed.  “Shukaku, Naruto?  The Ichibi branch of the Jūbi** alliance?  I know you’ve been out of it, but we’ve been planning this for _years_ , Naruto.  How could you forget our main focus?”

“I didn’t forget,” Naruto grumbled.  “How _c_ _ould_ I?  I just...I didn’t realize we were _there_ already, that’s all.”

Temari and Shikamaru exchanged a knowing glance.  “We can’t do this forever, Naruto,” Temari explained.  “We figured it was about time.  We’ve been working on this for _years_.”

“I _know_ , but what are we gonna do once we’re done?” Naruto asked, not entirely sure how he was feeling about their lifetime plans coming to fruition.

“Well, if we fail, we’ll just die,” Shikamaru said matter-of-factly with a shrug.  “If we succeed…” he trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

“...if we succeed,” Temari continued for him, “then we can do whatever we want.  Whatever _you_ want,” she looked at Naruto meaningfully.  “Wouldn’t you like that?”

Naruto sighed.  He knew what Temari was getting at.  Once they were done, they could get on with their lives.  Temari and Shikamaru would be able to move forward as a couple and he would be able to chase after his dreams or strive for whatever it was he wanted from life.  It felt a little like a break-up, though, not that he knew from experience.  He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to move on with life, without Temari and Shika.  On the other hand…

“Our lifestyle is beginning to hurt you,” Temari pointed out.  “Just look at you and Sasuke.  You _knew_ it would never work out, yet you still got hurt.  Once we’ve met our objective, you won’t have to worry about that.

Naruto looked down at his feet.  It would be nice, if he could move forward with Sasuke, but Sasuke didn’t want that and his lifestyle didn’t permit it.  He couldn’t see himself moving forward with anyone else, though.  In fact, until he’d met Sasuke, he hadn’t felt a pull for anyone else.  “His lifestyle isn’t much better,” Naruto grumbled under his breath as they continued to make their way through the streets.  After forcing their contract to break, Sasuke probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him, anyway.

He still wanted to call Sasuke when he got the chance, though, even if the man _was_ pissed at him.  If he was lucky, maybe he could convince Sasuke to maintain their contract.  First, he’d have to get a disposable phone from Temari and Shika though, so he needed to play the part.

“Alright,” he agreed finally.  “What’s our first step?”

 

☯

 

Sasuke sat alone in his living room, staring up at the ceiling.  He hadn’t made any progress on his personal endeavors, despite his forced vacation.  Every time he cracked open the book that Naruto purchased for him, it reminded him that the blond had yet to contact him.  Within a few more days, Sasuke would be forced to return to servicing regular johns, and he was _not_ looking forward to it.

It was frustrating him.  He hadn’t planned on getting so...distracted by the other man, but here he was, distraught and unable to focus on his _primary_ goal.  If he didn’t make any progress, then it was all for nothing.  Sasuke wasn’t sure he could live with that reality.

He turned his head in the direction of his cell phone as it began to ring.  After staring at it for a few seconds, he decided to check it.  If he was lucky, Kakashi had heard from Naruto.  Maybe it would even be Shisui, though that was even less likely.

He glared at the blocked number on his phone.  It could be Naruto...or it could be a scam.  At least if it was scam, he would have a target for his frustrations.  He decided to answer it.

“I don’t normally answer blocked calls, so this better be worth my time,” he growled into the receiver.  “This is the only warning I’m providing.”

“Sasuke?”  Sasuke closed his eyes against the sound of Naruto’s voice reaching his ears once again.  He was relieved to to hear from the blond, but that didn’t mean he was off the hook.

“So you’re real, after all.  And here I was starting to think I’d imagined your existence.”  Sasuke sat up, despite himself.  Sure, he’d give the other man hell, but they still had business to discuss, and that would require his attention.

Naruto bit his lip nervously at Sasuke’s obvious irritation.  He couldn’t exactly _blame_ the dark-haired man, even if it _wasn’t_ his choice.  “Sasuke, I’m sorry,” he pleaded.  “I just woke up one day in...some other city.”  Even if he wanted to see Sasuke again, he didn’t want Sasuke to be tied to his team’s activities.  They were playing a dangerous game, and even Shika wasn’t sure they’d emerge victorious, or with their lives.

“Oh, is that so?” Sasuke scowled.  “You just...woke up in some other city with no idea how you got there?  Do you travel in your sleep often, or do you expect me to believe that your roommates drugged you and threw you on a bus to wherever the fuck you are now?”

“Actually,” Naruto laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head.  “That’s not exactly _out_ of character for them.”

“So you _do_ expect me to believe that,” Sasuke spat in disbelief.  “How naϊve do you think I am?”

Naruto let his head fall back against the stone wall he was leaning against.  This conversation wasn’t exactly going as he had planned, though he should have expected some backlash from Sasuke; he _had_ just up and disappeared, after all.  He was lucky that he’d even gotten the chance to make this call.

He’d found where Shika and Temari were hiding their disposable phones and he snuck a few- but not enough for them to notice- under his mattress while they were sleeping.  While they were gone grabbing food earlier in the day, Naruto stuffed one into the pocket of his favorite hoodie, which he was now wearing.  After they returned and he ate with them, he told the couple that he was going for a walk to clear his head, which technically wasn’t _inaccurate_.  With enough distance between himself and the motel, he decided to call the number he’d long since memorized.

“Listen,” Naruto spoke up finally.  “It’s happened before, okay?  It’s their way of preventing me from putting up a fight if they think I’ve become too complacent.”

“Complacent?” Sasuke questioned.  “Complacent with what?”

“It’s not important,” Naruto brushed off the question.  “We were only going to be in Konoha temporarily, and I knew that.  Whether I wanted to leave or not was never up to me, and they have their methods for forcing my cooperation.  Technically, I agreed to it a long time ago, anyway, so it’s justified.”

Sasuke thought Naruto had an odd definition for justification, but he held his tongue.  “So why did you call me?”

“Look,” Naruto sighed, “I know I have no right and I _really_ fucked up with our contract and everything, but I was hoping…”

Sasuke figured he knew where this was going.  “You’d like to continue with our agreement, despite the fact that you’ve technically broken the terms of our contract,” he finished for Naruto.

“Yeah…” Naruto breathed out.  He felt like Sasuke was still mad at him, so he fully expected the man to tell him to fuck off and hang up the phone.

Sasuke would have loved to tell Naruto to fuck off, but their agreement had benefited him as well.  Especially since he was unable to focus on his _own_ goals without the blond in his life.  “I’ll talk to Kakashi, but I’m not promising anything.”  Of course, Sasuke already knew that Kakashi would be fine with it, but he _was_ still upset with Naruto and he wanted to make him suffer a bit.  “Call me back tomorrow and I can tell you his decision.”  With that, Sasuke hung up and tossed his phone aside.  Maybe things would go back to normal, after all.

Naruto couldn’t help the feeling of hope in his chest as he heard the line go dead.  Sasuke would talk to Kakashi, which meant that the raven-haired man still thought their agreement was worth pursuing.

He smiled as he made his way back to his current motel room/home.  Sasuke was willing to resume their sessions, which to him, was the biggest hurdle.  Kakashi seemed laid back enough to let it slide, so he wasn’t as worried about his partner’s boss.  Things were looking up.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Suna: Short for Sunagakure  
> **Jūbi: Ten-Tailed Beast  
> Once again, there will more on this later. For now, this is all that I can tell you without spoiling anything.
> 
> I hope you guys liked it, don't forget to tell me what you think! The next chapter should cover another conversation between Kakashi and Sasuke and, of course, Naruto's phone call the next day. I'll try to get back to updating regularly, I just need to get back to writing regularly.


	8. Restoration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke, Kakashi, and Naruto try to figure out how to discuss their contract with Naruto's current situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so late, I haven't been very motivated for much of anything lately, and my work schedule keeps fluctuating. It's annoying, but I'll get over it. I guess this chapter isn't very exciting, but it's funny to watch Sasuke squirm, so I hope you guys enjoy that.

Sasuke slowly made his way toward the building in which Kakashi’s office resided.  He wasn’t sure how he was going to approach the subject, but Naruto had clearly stated his interest in proceeding with their contract.  Isn’t that what he wanted as well?

When Sasuke reached the building, he took a moment to stare up at the structure.  He still wasn’t sure what he wanted to tell Kakashi.  He didn’t exactly want to walk into the office literally jumping for joy.  He didn’t _need_ Naruto, but his presence had become... _beneficial_ to Sasuke.

He stood outside for a few more minutes.  Kakashi’s window faced his direction, and he was almost positive that the older man was looking out said window.  He was probably watching Sasuke with amusement as he procrastinated their meeting.  Sasuke rolled his eyes as he finally decided to enter the building.

“I was wondering how long you would stand out there before you decided to join me,” Kakashi greeted as Sasuke entered his office.  “It doesn’t look too warm out there, and last time I checked, you were fairly cold-natured, Sasuke.”

“I’m fine,” Sasuke growled in response.  “If it bothered me, I would have come in sooner.”

“Of course,” Kakashi agreed, humoring the young man before him.  “Now, what is it that has brought you here, Sasuke?”

“I think you already know the answer to that question, Kakashi,” Sasuke accused.  Kakashi was smart enough to have figured out his reason for being there.  In fact, they’d just discussed this the day before.

Kakashi crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair.  “I take it Naruto contacted you?”

“He has,” Sasuke agreed simply.  He might not have planned out this conversation in advance, but he _was_ aware that it was in his best interest to only provide information that was absolutely necessary.

“And when was this?” Kakashi responded just as simply.  He knew that Sasuke was less than forthcoming with _any_ information, particularly information that pertained to him in any way.  He also knew how to work around it.

“Yesterday,” Sasuke supplied, awaiting Kakashi’s next question.

“That’s pretty convenient for you, Sasuke,” Kakashi responded.  “A few days later and you would have given up already.”  Sasuke answered with a grunt.  “Does he wish to proceed with your agreement?  Or would he rather terminate the contract?”

“He wishes to proceed,” Sasuke replied.  “In fact, that’s why he called.”

“Oh?  Is that so?  And what did you tell him, Sasuke?” Kakashi asked with a devious smile.

“I told him I’d talk to you,” Sasuke gave the man a look that said he should already realize this.

“You already know what my opinion is on this, Sasuke,” Kakashi responded.  “Why didn’t you just tell him that you also wish to proceed?”  He laughed at Sasuke blank stare.  “Why am I not surprised?  So what _do_ you want, Sasuke?  I thought you also wanted to proceed.”

“I do,” Sasuke admitted with a sigh.  He didn’t like admitting that he appreciated their bond, but at this point, any denial would cost him.

“Then?” Kakashi prompted, knowing Sasuke would crack eventually.

“He’s out of town,” he informed his boss with a scowl.  “How can we continue to have consultations, if he’s not even here?”

 _Oh, I get it_ , Kakashi thought to himself.   _He’s upset with Naruto, but he still wants to maintain the contract without sacrificing his pride.  He really is an Uchiha_.  “I have an idea,” he finally announced.

“And?” Sasuke asked impatiently.

“I would like for Naruto to have a meeting with us.  Ask him to meet up with you and bring him here.  We can discuss the contract with him and renegotiate if we need to.  Tell him that I’m suspending the contract until then.  Are you going to return to regular johns during this suspension?”

“If it takes longer than a week, I will.  I’m not broke, but I still need money to survive,” Sasuke grumbled.

“Very well then,” Kakashi agreed.  “Report back to me with any new developments whenever they may occur.  Until then, you are dismissed.”

“Whatever,” Sasuke grumbled as he headed out the door.  Naruto was supposed to call him back tonight, anyway.

 

☯

 

“I’m so bored,” Naruto whined from his bed as Temari typed away at her outdated laptop.  They hadn’t left their new motel room all day and Naruto was beginning to feel like a caged animal.  He needed sunshine and fresh air to keep him going, but he’d been holed up in the dark room that smelled of musk since he returned from his walk the night before.  Not exactly his definition of comfort.

“Surely you know the process by now,” she retorted, her eyes never leaving the screen.  “We’ve been through this how many times, now?  You’d think that you’d be accustomed to it by now.”

“Well, I’m not,” he huffed as he rolled over to lie on his side.  “This place is so...bleak.”

“It _is_ a cheap motel room,” Shikamaru pointed out.  He was currently lying next to Temari with his eyes closed, like he was pretending to sleep.  He didn’t open them to respond to Naruto.  “We’ve also been paying in cash on a week-to-week basis.  That’s not exactly a formula for luxury.”

“Guys, we _have_ money.  It’s not like we’re flat broke.  Couldn’t we have stayed in a nice hotel just this _once_?  We’ve literally _never_ done it,” Naruto protested.

Shikamaru shrugged, still refusing to open his eyes.  “Technically, sure, but more upscale places find paying in cash suspicious, understandably so.  When’s the last time you we aware of an upstanding, law-abiding citizen carrying _that_ much cash on them?”

Naruto shifted to lie on his other side.  He was having difficulty getting comfortable, but that may have been because he’d pretty much been in the same place all day.  “I mean, money’s money, isn’t it?  What does it matter, if they get paid?”

Shikamaru sighed in response.  “Don’t you get it, Naruto?  Carrying cash everywhere is outdated.  It’s suspicious and the _last_ thing we need is people asking questions about us, and trust me, they would ask.”

“I don’t see why it matters,” Naruto grumbled as he shifted onto his back.  

Shikamaru shrugged once again.  “It’s the way of the world.  Besides, technically people have a right to be suspicious of us.  There’s a reason we always pay cash and stick to cheap motels, or are you still having difficulty processing that?”

Naruto scoffed.  “It would still be nice.”

“Sure it would,” Shika agreed, “but remember, the staff of an upscale hotel is more present that of this motel.  They would undoubtedly take note of some of our typical activities and might even report us to the police.  They would have every right to, and that is _exactly_ what we’re trying to avoid.”

“What typical activities do we partake in that you think hotel staff would report to the police?” Naruto asked.

“Smoking cigarettes isn’t even allowed in most hotel rooms these days,” Shikamaru pointed out matter-of-factly.  “Let alone marijuana.  And I wonder how they would feel about your prostitute habit?  Sasuke might have dressed casually, but you can’t deny that all of your other _escorts_ dressed in attire that clearly stated their occupation.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Naruto grumbled bitterly, turning to lie on his stomach.  “I just thought it would be a nice experience for once.  A guy can dream, can’t he?”

“Save the dreaming for sleep, princess,” Temari interjected.  

“Are you done yet?” Naruto whined in response.  “I’m actually getting kind of hungry here.”

“No one’s stopping _you_ from picking up some food,” Temari spat in response.  “Besides, you know this process.  Research always takes quite some time, Naruto, and you don’t exactly have a way to help out.”

“I know, but I’m here for moral support or whatever,” Naruto responded honestly.

“Look, Naruto,” Temari’s eyes left her screen for the first time that night to address her friend across the room.  “It’s obvious that you’re getting restless.  Why don’t you just take a walk like you did last night?”

Naruto thought it over in his head.  A walk _would_ be nice, and it would give him the chance to get some fresh air.  Besides, he did still need to call Sasuke, and this was the perfect opportunity to do it.  He was even still wearing the same hoodie from the night before, with the disposable phone still in the pocket.  After tonight’s call, he would need to dispose of it, and then he wouldn’t worry about Shikamaru or Temari finding out.

“I guess,” he sighed, sitting up.  He didn’t really want to leave his friends to handle all the work alone, but like Temari said, there was nothing he could do.  “I guess I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“Make sure to bring some food back with you!” Temari called after him before he shut the door.  

He would worry about the food later.  Right now, he had a phone call to make.

 

☯

 

Sasuke watched his phone ring, already knowing who it was, despite the masked number.  Still upset with the blond for his sudden disappearance, Sasuke let his phone ring a few more times before finally picking up.

“You have 5 seconds to identify yourself before I hang up,” he greeted with a bored tone.  Sure, he knew it was Naruto, but the number _was_ listed as unavailable, so it could technically be anyone.

“Hey, Sasuke,” Naruto spoke into the receiver quietly.  Today he hadn’t waited to reach a secluded place.  His phone was already out and dialing Sasuke’s number as he left the motel parking lot.  He spoke carefully as he walked, not wanting anyone to overhear his conversation.  As mundane as he was sure this phone call would be, he’d grown up not trusting any outsiders to hear the details of his business dealings, and habits were hard to break.  Besides, he didn’t want Sasuke to get caught up in the shit he was dealing with, anyway.  It was too dangerous for many reasons.

“That’s not an identification of anyone other than me,” Sasuke retorted, antagonizing the blond.  Despite obviously recognizing Naruto’s voice, Sasuke wanted Naruto’s confirmation.  The blond still had a debt to repay, after all.

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed as he continued to walk quickly through the streets.  “It’s Naruto, you jackass.  You _know_ it’s me, because _you_ told me to call you back tonight.”

“I suppose I did,” Sasuke acknowledged, inspecting his nails out of boredom.  

Naruto shook his head, realizing that Sasuke wasn’t going to make this easy.  “So what did Kakashi say?”

“Nothing in particular,” Sasuke responded.  “He wants to arrange a meeting to possibly renegotiate the contract.  Until then, our agreement has been suspended.”

“Yeah, that fair, I guess,” Naruto sighed.  “So how do we go about arranging this meeting?”

“He has an office,” Sasuke answered.  “He likes to pretend he’s running a legitimate business or something.  He would like for us to meet up and we’ll visit his office together.”

“Where is this office?” Naruto asked, already anticipating an unsatisfactory answer.

Sasuke shrugged to himself, not understanding why it mattered.  “Downtown Konoha.  Where else, moron?”

Naruto sucked in a breath.  “I...uh...I can’t exactly make it to Konoha,” he admitted nervously.

“Of course not,” Sasuke snapped as he felt the wound from Naruto’s sudden disappearance reopen.  “And how do you expect to maintain our contract, if you can’t even fucking get to me?”

“Sasuke, calm down, I’ve thought this through...somewhat.  I think a meeting is a good idea, but can we meet up somewhere?  Somewhere outside of Konoha?  I’ll pay for you and Kakashi’s travel if I need to,” Naruto tried to reason.

Sasuke thought this over in his head.  “Can’t we just come to you?”

“No!” Naruto exclaimed without thinking.  “No...that would be too much to ask of you.  I’m not exactly close to Konoha right now.  If we meet up somewhere, then we’ll both be travelling, and you and Kakashi won’t have to worry about being gone all day.”

Sasuke sat in silence for a moment.  _Not close to Konoha?  An entire day’s worth of travel?_ Where the fuck was he?  “So where _can_ you meet us?”

Naruto quickly searched his brain for cities close to Konoha.  “Hmm,” he responded, “what about Mito?”

“Mito _is_ pretty close,” Sasuke acknowledged.  “I need to run it by Kakashi first, though.  Just...call me back tomorrow,” he grumbled, annoyed that this was becoming a regular thing.  He was already tired of playing messenger boy.

“Okay,” Naruto agreed.  “And Sasuke?  I really am sorry,” he said, immediately hanging up the phone.  Knowing he needed to dispose of the phone, he made short work of breaking it and tossing its pieces into various trash cans.  As he made his way back to the motel room, he tried to decide where he was going to pick up some food to take back to the room.

If all went well, he’d be meeting Kakashi and Sasuke in Mito within the next few days.  He would have to worry about how to deal with Shikamaru and Temari later.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not that exciting, but we're starting to get somewhere. In the next chapter, the guys are going to figure out the details of their meeting. Of course, Kakashi is going to agree because he thinks Naruto's a good influence on Sasuke (he kind of is). Not really much of a spoiler at this point, Kakashi's been pushing this from the start. Until next time, guys, thanks for all your support!


	9. Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke go back and forth trying to arrange a meeting. Temari and Shikamaru stay focused on their current task. Kakashi confronts Sasuke about his attachment to Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm suuuper sorry about how late this is, I just haven't been feeling very motivated lately, but I'm trying to get better about it. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to keeping a regular schedule, but I won't promise anything. Sorry everyone.

Sasuke stared at his phone as the line went dead.   _What the hell was that?_

Something about Naruto’s unnecessary apology got under the raven-haired man’s skin.  Leaving might have not been his choice, but he had known it was going to happen, so in the end, he wasn’t entirely innocent.  Sasuke understood that, but he’d already apologized for leaving and they hadn’t even discussed it today.

Was he apologizing _again_ for the same event?  Or was he apologizing for inconveniencing Sasuke and Kakashi?  Or was it the contract in general?

Was he apologizing for something else entirely?  Something bigger? Something they hadn’t discussed at all?  Did Naruto know how Sasuke felt?

Sasuke quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head.  He didn’t need to acknowledge any feelings that he may or may not have for the blond.  He had more important things to deal with. Emotions were a waste a time, anyway. So why was he ruled by them?

Groaning at his own internal conflict, he made his way to his bed.  He would have to visit Kakashi _again_ tomorrow to ask him if they could meet in Mito, then wait for Naruto’s call to relay the message.  Sasuke only hoped this all amounted to something after all was said and done.

 

☯  

 

“Hey, princess,” Temari greeted as Naruto walked into the room.  She still hadn’t moved from her spot in front of her laptop, and Naruto knew that was unlikely to change soon.  “What’d you bring me?”

Naruto held up the bag in his hand in response.  “I got us bento boxes. I picked up quite a few because I figured we’d be holed up in here for awhile.”

Temari nodded in agreement.  “You know the drill. Research is a pain, but it needs to be done.”

“Yeah, I know,” Naruto rolled his eyes.  “You up for a break yet? I don’t exactly want to eat in front of you guys while you’re busy.”

“I sure as shit am,” Shikamaru mumbled as he made his way to the bag Naruto had brought in.

“You haven’t even been doing anything, Shika,” Naruto added flatly.

“And it’s been exhausting,” Shikamaru shrugged.

“Whatever,” Naruto sighed.  He was well aware of Shika’s lack of motivation at this point and he wasn’t in the mood to discuss it.

“Poor baby,” Temari snickered, shutting her laptop.  “But yes, Naruto, I am more than ready for a break. In fact, I’ve been waiting for you to return so I _could_ take a break.  Jesus, what took so long with the food, anyway?”

“Hey, I picked up quite a bit,” Naruto defended himself.  Granted, he had made a little detour, but he wasn’t going to tell _them_ that.  “ _And_ I had to find something first.  I didn’t exactly leave with a clear head, remember?”

“Oh, I remember,” Temari laughed, stretching as she stood up.  “And it seems to be a lot clearer now. You’re in a much better mood.”

“Yeah, well, you know I don’t like sitting around in a dark motel room all day.  I’m a child of the sun; I need natural light and fresh air!”

“Trust us, we know,” Shikamaru groaned, rolling his eyes.  “You have way too much energy.”

“Well there’s not much I can do about that, is there, Shikamaru?  All things considered, you’re just lucky I _wanted_ to go outside and didn’t spend the entire night harassing the two of you.” Naruto retorted, falling back on his bed.  

“Knock it off, you two,” Temari waved her chopsticks at them dismissively, her mouth full of rice.  “Can’t we just eat in peace and get back to work?”

Shikamaru just rolled his eyes as he began to eat.  Naruto whined in response. “How much work do we have left to do?”

Temari sighed, shaking her head at his impatience.  “Luckily for you, I’m _from_ Suna, and I know a couple of Shukaku members personally.  Unfortunately, getting in touch with them is a little tricky, considering the circumstances.”

“Wait,” Naruto grabbed a bento and began eating as well.  “These members you know are willing to go along with _our_ plan?  What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” she responded immediately.  “They want out and we want in. It’s a win-win.”  She set her empty bento aside, quickly grabbing another.  “You might need to pick up some more of these, Naruto; I’ve been ravenous lately.  Who knew all this research could burn so many calories?”

“ _Any_ effort burns calories,” Shikamaru responded.  “That’s why I choose to save all my energy by doing as little as possible.”

“Yeah,” Temari snorted, “ _that’s_ why you’re so lazy.”

Shikamaru ignored her.  “Hurry up and finish eating.  We still have a lot of work to do before we can make our move.”   

“Yeah, yeah, sure thing boss,” Temari teased as she continued to stuff her face.  “Just a few more days and we’ll be good to go.”

 

☯

 

“He wants to meet in Mito?” Kakashi asked the next day, unsure of what to make of the situation.  Sasuke stood in front of the man’s desk silently. He’d already explained the full situation to Kakashi, so he figured his boss was just trying to make sense of it all, or at the least, assess its value.

“So, he can’t make it to Konoha, for reasons he can’t explain, but he can make it to Mito without any problems?  And he’s willing to pay for our travel to Mito?” Kakashi sighed. “Well, I can’t exactly say I’ve been faced with a decision like this before.  What do you think, Sasuke?”

Sasuke shrugged.  “It’s not my decision to make.”

Kakashi leaned back in his chair, raising an eyebrow.  “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Sasuke. If you remember, the entire reason I even suggested this meeting in the first place was to make Naruto put forth an effort into our agreement.  If he was willing to put forth the effort, then his keeping up with the contract wouldn’t be an issue I would need to concern myself with.” Kakashi looked at Sasuke pointedly. “Well, that and the fact that you don’t want to make it so easy for him after he abandoned you like that.”

Sasuke glared at Kakashi, but said nothing.  Kakashi sighed and leaned forward. “What I’m saying, Sasuke, is that it’s _your_ choice.  It has _always_ been your choice, and you know that.  If you’re willing to go to Mito, and Naruto’s willing to cover the costs, then I can leave Konoha for _one day_ to renegotiate a contract with a loyal customer.”

Sasuke remained silent as Kakashi drummed his fingers on his desk, awaiting an answer.  “Fine,” he spoke up again when he realized he wasn’t going to get a response. “If that’s how you’re going to be about it, why did you wait for Naruto to contact you once he left?”

“We had a contract,” Sasuke replied simply.  “I needed to know if it was still valid.”

“There was a clause in the contract stating that if a minimum of two consultations was not met in the span of a week, the contract was no longer valid.  Yet you waited anyway. Why?”

Sasuke looked at the floor.  “He was reliable up until that point.  There was no reason to abandon the contract so quickly.”

“Very well,” Kakashi nodded, “so why, Sasuke, did you bring the issue to me when he contacted you?  You already had my permission to continue with the contract, but you felt the need to bring it up with me.  Why?”

Sasuke shrugged.  “It’s your business, and things change.  If I were running a business, I’d _want_ my subordinates to consult me with new developments.”

“Fair enough,” Kakashi agreed, “but do you remember when you were first assigned to him?  You were _repulsed_ by the fact that he was bisexual, yet here you are, and he’s still bisexual.”

“You know why I’m averse to bisexuals, Kakashi,” Sasuke growled warningly.  “Naruto’s different. Isn’t that what you told me when you initially assigned me to him?  Thus far, I’ve experienced nothing off-putting about him, therefore, there’s no reason to not pursue the contract.”

“Then, I believe we have our answer, Sasuke.  When Naruto contacts you next, arrange a meeting for the next day at 2pm, then send me a text to let me know.  From there, we’ll meet here and take a train to Mito. You are dismissed.”

Sasuke turned to leave and Kakashi called out after him.  “You’re not fooling me, Sasuke, but when are going to start being honest with yourself?” Sasuke closed the door behind himself without so much as a backward glance.

 

☯

 

Naruto jolted upright from a lounging position on his bed as an idea struck him.  “Wait. Does Shukaku have a prostitution ring?” He asked his roommates.

“Probably,” Temari shrugged as she typed away at her computer.  “Why? Feeling a little pent up?” She teased.

“Actually, I wasn’t even thinking about that,” Naruto admitted quietly.  “However, as far as research is concerned…”

“YES!” Temari interrupted excitedly.  “That’s brilliant, Naruto! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you have have no need for prostitutes?” Shikamaru suggested lazily.  “Obviously Naruto would go there because of his prostitution habit.   _You_ were focused more on the organization, not what it’s involved in.  Perhaps we need to shift our focus. On this case in particular, we have inside help, but in the future, those avenues will provide us with the easiest access.  Good work, Naruto.”

“I still wanna see if I can get any information out of them,” Naruto grumbled, feeling a little underappreciated.  “Maybe I should go out there and see what I can find?”

“Do whatever you want, Nar,” Temari waved her hand toward him absent-mindedly.  “I’m not sure it will help much in _this_ particular case, but Shika is right: it’s a good idea.  So go knock yourself out. At least it will keep you busy while we’re stuck doing research.”

“You got it!” Naruto jumped up excitedly.  “I’ll get you something! I promise!”

“I’m not sure about all that,” Temari grumbled in response, but Naruto was already out the door and hadn’t heard a word she’d said.

 

☯

 

Naruto’s call came late that night.  Sasuke was lying in bed, unable to sleep, when he heard his phone ring.

“Name,” he answered curtly, even though he was sure it was Naruto.

He heard Naruto sigh on the other end.  “It’s Naruto, you jerk. Who else do you expect to call you at eleven at night?”

“I don’t expect _anyone_ to call me in the middle of the night, Naruto,” Sasuke hissed.  “I could have been sleeping.”

“Were you?” Naruto asked innocently.

 _No, but that’s beside the point_ , Sasuke thought to himself.  He decided not to answer the question.  “What do you want, Naruto?”

“What did Kakashi say?” he asked in response.  There was no point in wasting anymore time if Sasuke really _was_ trying to sleep.

Sasuke sighed audibly, wanting Naruto to hear how inconvenient this conversation was for him.  “We can meet you in Mito tomorrow at 2pm.”

“Deal!” Naruto said excitedly.  “Keep your receipts and I’ll reimburse you both when I see you!”  Then the line went dead and Sasuke was alone with his thoughts once more.

“What have I gotten myself into?” he grumbled to himself as he rolled over and tried to go to sleep.   _This had better be worth it_ , he thought to himself.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Sasuke and Naruto will finally meet up again and renegotiate their contract. As always, thanks for your support and I'm sorry I've been such a slacker lately. I'll try to get better. Until next time!


	10. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto and Sasuke reunite to discuss their contract; Shikamaru and Temari discuss the situation they're in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too terrible a wait this time, right? This might be my new update schedule between everything else I'm also trying to do. For those of you who may or may not be interested in What Happens In Vegas, I'm planning on finishing this one first before moving on with this one, so I guess it's under a temporary hiatus. As always, your words of encouragement keep me going and are much appreciated!

“Learn anything?” Temari snickered as Naruto walked through the door, fully expecting him to come up empty-handed.

“Not yet,” Naruto sighed, “but to be fair, it hasn’t been that long since I started to look.  I figured I’d just call it a night and take to the streets tomorrow. I’ll find something, I know I will.”

“Okay,” Temari snorted in response.  “But don’t get all butt hurt if nothing comes of this.  I tried to warn you…”

“No, Temari,” Naruto pushed back.  “I know there’s more out there that you haven’t found, and I’m gonna find it.  Just leave it to me.”

She sighed in response.  Naruto just didn’t get it.  She understood that he wanted to help, but there were other ways to go about it.  He had his own part to play; he didn’t need to help with the research.  She was too tired to argue about it now though, so she let it go. “If you insist.  I think I’ll call it a night too, I’m getting pretty tired.”

Naruto lay still as he heard Temari putting her laptop away and roll over to go to sleep.  There was something that Temari was keeping from him, he was sure of it. Gathering information from Shukaku’s prostitution ring was more than just a good cover story for his meeting with Sasuke.  He would find something they could use, he was sure of it. While he was at it, maybe he could even figure out what Temari was hiding from him. She _was_ from Suna, after all.

 

☯

 

 “Morning, sunshine,” Kakashi greeted as Sasuke walked into his office at 11am.  It was a two-hour long train ride from Konoha to Mito and their train left in an hour.  Normally, Sasuke wasn’t awake at this hour, so seeing the young man in his office at that time was fairly impressive.  It wasn’t lost on the older man that this was all for Naruto.

Not expecting a reply from the groggy boy in front of him, Kakashi continued.  “Now, before we leave, I want to make sure we’re on the same page,” he began. “If Naruto’s circumstances are unreasonable, we will not pursue this contract.”  He looked up at Sasuke to gauge his reaction, but all he saw was the same unamused glare that Sasuke had worn since he’d walked into the room. Either he didn’t agree with Kakashi’s judgement, or he was just still half-asleep.  Unfortunately, there was no real way to tell.

Sasuke didn’t voice any disagreement, so Kakashi moved on.  “If this becomes too difficult to maintain, we will terminate the contract.  And, as always, if you become uncomfortable with the arrangement, we will terminate the contract.”

Sasuke remained as he was, glaring at Kakashi in exhaustion.  He knew the white-haired man had more to say, so he remained silent.  He didn’t really have any objections to voice anyway, so there was no point in opening his mouth.

“I want to talk to him about this little disappearance of his,” Kakashi pressed forward.  “If this becomes a habit, I’m not sure this partnership will work out, especially if he maintains that he can’t provide us with the details of his absence.  I want to give him a chance to explain himself, though. If this will be a reoccurring event, maybe there’s some way we can work around it.”

Sasuke remained silent, hoping Kakashi would hurry up so they could leave.  The man was perpetually late and they couldn’t afford to miss this train. He hadn’t even discussed where to meet with Naruto due to the late hour at which the man called him.  Right now he was only hoping that Naruto would realize that taking a train was the most logical route and meet them at the station. At least he knew what time they’d arrive.

“Okay,” Kakashi spoke up after giving Sasuke ample time to respond.  “Let’s get going, we’ve got a train to catch!”

 

☯

 

Naruto woke up extra early to catch his train to Mito.  He realized that he wasn’t going to be able to actually ask around for information today, but he considered his meeting with Sasuke more important.  He still had plenty of time to ask around the town about Shukaku.

“Naruto, what are you doing awake at this ungodly hour?” Temari groaned, still half-asleep.

“Research,” he responded dismissively.  “I’m gonna check with the surrounding towns too, so I’ll need time to get there.”

“Whatever,” she rolled over, still unconvinced that he’d find anything.  “Take one of the disposable phones. Call us if anything happens. We’ll be here all day, anyway.”  She lazily pointed to where they were hidden.

Naruto rolled his eyes.  Of course, he’d already found the stash, but she didn’t know that, and he wasn’t going to grab from his own stash with her even semi-aware.  He made his way over to the hiding place and grumbled as he searched the area, convincing her that he was looking for the phones. “I don’t know why the fuck you hid them in the first place.  We have them for a reason.”

“Yes you do,” Temari sighed.  “Now hurry up and leave, I’m trying to sleep.”

Naruto grabbed a phone and headed out the door.  “I don’t know when I’ll be back,” were the last words he spoke before he closed the door behind himself.

 

☯

 

Sasuke was relieved when he and Kakashi stepped off the train to find Naruto waiting for them.  He’d known the blond wasn’t a complete moron, but it was still a poor decision on his part to not arrange a meeting spot.

“How did you know we’d take the train?” he asked as they approached the blond.

Naruto shrugged.  “It’s the most logical choice, and since I knew where you were coming from, it was easy enough to find your train.”

“When did your train get here?” Kakashi asked, trying to get some information out of him.  They already knew that Naruto wouldn’t disclose where he was staying, but maybe they could figure it out through context.

“Too early,” Naruto laughed lightheartedly while also managing to brush off the question.  Although his attempt was thwarted, Kakashi admired the young man for his witty response. “Would you guys like to stop at a café or something?  I need to get some caffeine or something.”

“Of course,” Kakashi responded.  He had visited Mito before, given that it wasn’t too terribly far from Konoha.  “There should be one right up the street.”

After the guys ordered their drinks and sat down, Kakashi decided it was time to get down to business.  “So, about our contract.”

Naruto nodded, sipping his hot tea, and put his drink down.  “I want to renegotiate it,” he admitted. “For reasons I can’t discuss, I’m no longer staying in Konoha, but I do wish to continue our consultations.”

“So you’re no longer in Konoha, and you can’t make it to Konoha, or we wouldn’t be here in Mito,” Kakashi pointed out.  “How do you wish to continue your consultations with Sasuke, then?”

“I would have to ask Sasuke to meet me outside of Konoha.  I was thinking Kyoto,” he explained.  Technically, Kyoto was on he, Temari, and Shikamaru’s list of destinations, but he had plenty of time to think of a backup plan for that.  “It would be much closer to where I currently am, and of course, I would cover all of Sasuke’s travel costs.”

“Kyoto is several hours away,” Kakashi noted.  “That would probably be Sasuke’s whole day, meaning he wouldn’t be able to visit other clients.  Were you still trying to have a minimum of 2 consultations a week?”

Naruto sighed in defeat.  He didn’t _want_ to reduce the amount of consultations they had, but his hands were tied.  “No. I would only be able to do this once a week.”

“I figured,” Kakashi nodded understandingly.  He still couldn’t figure out what, exactly, Naruto was involved in, but he could tell he wasn’t entirely in control of it.  It was also evident that Naruto legitimately cared about Sasuke, or he wouldn’t have traveled out to Mito and offered to cover their expenses.  He wasn’t sure if Sasuke had realized it yet, but he was sure the dark-haired man would figure it out eventually.

Sasuke was the closest thing Kakashi had to a son, and he really did want the young man to be happy.  Despite the circumstances, Kakashi felt that Naruto could provide Sasuke with this happiness, so he fully supported what Naruto was suggesting.  The choice, however, was not his. “What do you think, Sasuke?”

Sasuke nodded, adding a quiet, “okay,” at the end.  He didn’t care about the travel time, and Naruto already said he would cover the expenses.  He didn’t even care that it would cut into his time with ‘other clients,’ which Kakashi was fully aware he wouldn’t have.

“Very well,” Kakashi agreed,” I’ll go ahead and write up a contract for us to sign.”

“While you’re doing that, hand over your receipts so I can reimburse you,” Naruto smiled happily.  Kakashi complied and Naruto counted out the proper amount as Kakashi wrote up the contract.

Sasuke watched Naruto silently.  He had so many questions, but none that could be answered here.  Possibly none that would be answered ever, but it was worth a try.  He made it a goal to confront Naruto about this once they meet up again.  Hopefully now that he had the blond back in his life, he would be able to focus on his primary goal once more.

“Alright, it’s finished,” Kakashi declared, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts.  “All we have to do is sign it, which I already have.” He passed the contract to Naruto who handed over what he owed to the men.

Naruto skimmed over the contract quickly, having no reason to distrust Kakashi, and signed it before passing it to Sasuke.  Sasuke did the same, wordlessly, and handed it back to Kakashi, who nodded as he glanced at the signatures.

“I guess that settles it then,” he broke the silence.  “Same time next week, only in Kyoto and without me?” The younger men nodded in agreement and he took that as the signal that they could depart.  “Very well, then. Let’s get back to Konoha, Sasuke; I’ve got a business to run.

Naruto stayed at the café as he watched the men depart.  He was truly grateful that he had Sasuke in his life once more, and he wasn’t going to risk losing him again.

 

☯

 

Temari sighed in frustration as she tapped away harshly at her laptop.  Huffing angrily, she grabbed one of the empty bento boxes next to her and chucked it across the room.

“Babe, calm down, you’re a whiz at this shit, I’m sure you’ll find something eventually,” Shikamaru tried to calm her down.

“Well I’m NOT,” she shouted in irritation.  Her voice dropped to a desperate whisper. “I’m not finding anything.  How is this possible?”

“This _is_ Shukaku we’re talking about,” Shikamaru tried to reassure her.  “I think it’s safe to assume they know how to cover their tracks.”

She snorted in response.  “Yeah, a little too well it would seem.  It’s not just that though,” she added, pointedly.  “We’re running out of time.”

“Perhaps we should actually utilize Naruto’s strategy?”  Shikamaru suggested.

“We shouldn’t need to resort to that.  We have _inside_ sources, and I’m not even sure how well Naruto’s strategy will work.  You know he’s trying to check surrounding towns, now? What does he think surrounding towns will know.

Shikamaru took a moment to think this over before responding.  “He might not be too far off, Temari. Surely, the Shukaku organization moved to expand their territory.  Maybe surrounding towns are a part of that?”

“ _That’s_ fair, but what’s to say that the citizens of those towns aren’t too terrified to speak?   _You_ might not know how these organizations work, but I sure as hell do, and I’m here to put an end to it.”

“As am I, babe, as in Naruto.  Let us _help_ you.  You’re taking this way too personally,” Shikamaru tried to console her.

“How can I _not_ take it personally?” she groaned in frustration, removing her laptop from her lap.  Shikamaru watched her as she pulled a pack of cigarettes from the drawer. He grabbed them from her, lighting the entire carton on fire and throwing it out the window into the middle of the street.

“You know better than that,” he scolded her.  “Why don’t you lie down and take a nap. If and when Naruto finds something, let’s listen to him, okay?  He might actually find something useful.”

“Yeah, I doubt that.  What is he gonna find, if I can’t even find anything on Gaara or Kankurō?’ she grumbled as she tried to lie down for a nap.

Shikamaru didn’t respond, simply running his hand through her hair as he solemnly watched her fall asleep.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Sasuke and Naruto have officially renegotiated their contract and will meet up again in a week's time. Meanwhile, Temari and Shikamaru aren't having as much luck as they've led Naruto to believe. What do you guys think's going on with them? Naruto's got a lot of work to do! Until next time, everyone!


	11. Shukaku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto returns to Suna exhausted, only to leave again a few hours later. He does a bit of his own research without any input from Shikamaru or Temari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little later than I was wanting to post, but I got a sudden burst of inspiration and wrote a chapter that takes place later in the story. So, I apologize for the delay, but it will probably (hopefully) make things a little easier further down the line. I hope you all enjoy the update, and as always, your input keeps me going!

Naruto got back after midnight, finding Shikamaru and Temari already fast asleep.  He sighed, shaking his head. He had spent his entire day travelling for his brief meeting with Sasuke and Kakashi, but it was still worth it in his mind.  Sasuke was more important to him than he was willing to admit out loud.

He quietly made his way to the shower and turned it on.  He would need a plan for how to conquer his research mission, which he fully intended to work on the next day, or more accurately, later that same day.  Stripping off his clothes, he stepped under the lukewarm water spraying from the shower head and tried to let it relax him.

He definitely needed to look into the surrounding areas first, so he would at least have an idea of how much territory Shukaku had influence over.  Once he reached a city where Shukaku had _no_ influence, maybe he would be able to ask around and learn what the area _did_ know of the organization.  He was sure that any territory Shukaku hadn’t infiltrated had a reason for not being influenced by the organization.

Then he would need to make his way back to Suna, probably stopping to try to learn _how_ the various territories fell under Shukaku’s control.  Once he made it back to Suna, he could begin to look for Shukaku prostitutes.  Surely, they would have information on the organization. Now he only needed a way to distinguish Shukaku prostitutes from whatever other prostitutes might be around Suna.  Although these kinds of organizations often chased other prostitution services from their territory, it wasn’t entirely unheard of for the different prostitution rings to coexist.

As he finished his shower, he headed directly to bed.  He had an exhausting day, and he would have an equally long day once he awoke.  With as much work as he had to do, he needed as much sleep as he could get.

 

☯

 

Naruto awoke around noon to the sound of Temari tapping away at her laptop.  He wondered briefly how well her research was actually going, but quickly shook the thought.  Temari was incredibly smart, there was no way she was actually having trouble with her research.  She knew exactly what she was doing; she was just being extra careful. This _was_ Shukaku, after all.

As Naruto sat up in bed, Temari and Shikamaru looked his way, before turning their attention back to the screen in front of them.  “You must have had a busy day, yesterday,” Temari commented, almost bitterly. “Have you found anything?”

Naruto refrained from glaring at her as he shook his head.  “No, but I was just trying to wing it yesterday. I’ve come up with a plan today, so I’m going to revisit the surrounding cities to see if they know anything.”

Temari glanced at Shikamaru from the corner of her eye, purposefully.  “If you don’t find anything soon, then you’ll need to find some other way to gather information. That is, if you’re still trying to help with research.”

Naruto eyed her suspiciously.  He wasn’t sure what she was getting at, but he was _definitely_ going to find _something_ they could use.  “I wouldn’t be too worried about that,” he responded reassuringly.  “I have a plan now, and I won’t come back empty-handed. I’ll find _something_ , even if it’s just a lead to where we can get what we’re looking for.”

He threw the covers off of himself as he grabbed his clothes and started to get dressed.  He spent very little time dressing himself and was headed out the door before he spoke once more.  “Don’t wait up for me; I’ve got a lot of work to do.” Then he pointedly slammed the door behind himself.

 

☯

 

Naruto sighed in exasperation as he took a seat at a local ramen bar.  After placing his order, he scrubbed his hands over his face in exhaustion.  

It was already late in the evening, and he’d just barely finished mapping out the influence of Shukaku.  He hadn’t even started trying to ask around, but he refused to return to Shikamaru and Temari until he came up with _something_ , so he would need to rent out a cheap room until he found what he was looking for.  He wasn’t exactly happy with Temari at the moment anyway, so perhaps the break would be a good thing.  If he wasn’t busy working, he would have just gone back to Sasuke. That is, if the man would have him.

As his food arrived and he began to eat, he felt his energy levels plummet.  Staying busy all day had kept him going, but now that he was stationary, he was crashing.  He hadn’t planned on calling it a night so early, but he knew he wasn’t going to be able to get anything done now.  Once he finished eating, he’d need to start looking for a room. He could ask around about Shukaku in the morning.

He’d already figured that his best chance of learning anything was to seem concerned, but not _worried_.  If he came across as someone who was hiding or running from Shukaku, he wasn’t likely to learn anything about the organization.  People would assume that he was running from them for a _reason_ and that he knew what the organization was about.  However, he couldn’t just casually walk up to someone and ask about Shukaku; that was also suspicious.  On the other hand, if he approached as though he was concerned that they might have a presence- but not necessarily running from them, just concerned with criminal activities in general- it would come across as far more understandable.  Once he was assured that there was no presence, he would ask appropriate questions from there.

He finished his ramen and stood up, making his way back toward the city.  Maybe he would even stay at a ryokan* tonight; he could use the relaxation.

 

☯

 

When Naruto awoke the next day, he found that he _did_ actually feel more at ease.  After acquiring a room at the ryokan, he had made his way to the onsen**, where he spent over an hour soaking and watching the calming nighttime sky.

Yasugi was actually a peaceful town, he was coming to realize.  It wasn’t as busy as the larger cities like Tokyo, Suna, or even Konoha, if he was being honest.  The naturescapes were surprisingly soothing and had a way of putting his mind at ease.  Even the busiest parts of the town made him feel like he could truly be at peace here.  He was surprised to find himself grateful for the fact that this area was not under Shukaku’s control; he was sure the town wouldn’t be the same if it were.

He decided he would shower and head down to the ryokan café to grab something to eat.  Then he would ask around and eventually head to his next location: Shinjō. He hoped that he would be able to make it there by dinner, but there was truly no way to tell.  With his day planned out to the best of his abilities, he drug himself out of bed to get to work.

 

☯

 

“Shukaku, eh?  They’ve got nothing to offer us.”  Naruto had asked a local food stand owner about the organization.  He figured the general public’s reaction to the name would tell him how their influence hadn’t spread forward.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked the man to clarify.

“All these big cities need money, protection, development.  We don’t have a need for that here in Yasugi. Our town’s a nice, quiet place to relax.  Involvement with an organization like Shukaku would ruin that.”

Naruto nodded in agreement.  He had been thinking that himself, but he wasn’t sure it actually attributed to keeping the organization at bay; apparently it was, though.  “So...they can’t become involved because it would ruin the atmosphere?”

The man cocked his head thoughtfully.  “Nah, I think of it more as a proposition.  Like, they offer us something we have no desire for, so we turn them down.  They’ve offered to build huge tourist attractions before, trying to bribe us with revenue, but we have no need for all that.  We do fine on our own.”

“So they handle it like a business deal?” Naruto tried to clarify.

The man nodded.  “It _is_ a business deal; that’s their business.  Unfortunately for them, we have no interest in what their offering.”

Naruto nodded once more in understanding.  “Thank you,” he bowed his head before making his way back through the streets.  He figured he had gathered enough information in this town and it was time to move to the next.  As he made his way through the city, he decided to take the next train that would get him to Shinjō.

 

☯

 

Shinjō was the southern border of Shukaku’s influence.  Given the information that he had gathered in Yasugi, Naruto wasn’t particularly surprised to find that Shinjō was even smaller than Yasugi.  He wondered if it was a common theme that the smaller towns just didn’t care for big business, so to speak.

That wasn’t going to stop him from asking, though.  “Excuse me,” he called out to one of the locals who was out for a stroll.  He jogged to catch up to the elderly woman so he could speak with her properly.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized immediately, bowing his head in respect.  “I was just looking to move into the area, and I was hoping that the Shukaku organization wasn’t a...problem...here.”

The older woman eyed him curiously before cackling.  “As if they could be,” she responded in amusement. “We told ‘em to fuck off a long time ago.  Shukaku’s got no business here, so don’t go worrying about them.”

Her response caught Naruto by surprise.  The small town of Shinjō told Shukaku to stay out, and they just did?  He was starting to wonder if Shukaku’s only interest in these towns had been to stretch its influence, and when the towns refused to let it in, the organization decided it wasn’t worth pursuing.  Interesting.

“Thank you very much,” he replied, bowing once more.  “That is such a relief to hear.” He turned to leave, heading directly for the train station.  He had two more places he wanted to visit before the day’s end and he couldn’t afford to waste anymore time here.  He’d gotten what he came for.

 

☯

 

The Eastern border of Shukaku’s influence was marked by the town of Kami, which was roughly the size of Yasugi.  Naruto hadn’t spent too much time in the area before he learned that it was practically equidistant from both Suna and Kyoto, the home of the Yonbi organization, Son Gokū.  It was this fact that made the town unique. It had told both organizations, in no uncertain terms, that it wanted to remain neutral. Due to the situation the organizations found themselves in, they had no choice but to accept the town’s terms.

Once he was done in Kami, he headed straight for Kurayoshi- a much larger city than those he had been visiting up to that point- that happened to be under Shukaku’s control.  He had spent a while- much longer than he had originally anticipated- trying to track down a worker from Shukaku’s prostitution ring.

He had actually managed to find several that weren’t tied to the organization at all.  He was genuinely surprised to find that there were so many around that weren’t part of the organization.  Though based on their reactions when he mentioned Shukaku, they lived in fear of being punished by the organization for encroaching on their clientele.

He felt like he was finally on the right track when he came across a girl with a scorpion tattoo on her upper thigh.  Naruto was relieved to learn that this tattoo was the mark of Shukaku’s prostitutes. Apparently, each organization had one.

She had been fairly forthcoming with information after Naruto had assured her that he wasn’t targeting the organization or trying to take away her livelihood.  He told the girl that he was simply curious about the inner workings as someone who had never lived in a town with such a powerful organization. It might have been a lie, but it got him the information he was looking for and so much more.  Based on what he had learned, Temari knew more than she was letting on.

As it was getting quite late, he decided to spend the night in the city and head back to Suna in the morning.  From there, he would return to the motel room he shared with Shika and Tema, if for no other reason then to demand an explanation from Temari.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ryokan: An inn with access to a hot spring  
> **Onsen: Japanese bathhouse/hot spring access
> 
> So I hope you liked it, the next chapter will feature Naruto confronting Temari and you'll get to find out what Naruto learned about Shukaku. Until next time, and thank you all for all your support!


	12. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto returns to Suna to confront Temari about what he's recently learned. The trio discuss the Shukaku organization and Naruto shares what he's learned in regards to their plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys, it's been just over a month and I am *so* sorry it's taken so long. I recently got a new job and have been in the middle of trying to adapt to that and plan all the things I'm trying to do around my new schedule. Anyway, this chapter shouldn't be as dry as the last few as we're actually getting somewhere now. I hope you guys enjoy it and don't forget to tell me what you think!

“So you _are_ alive,” Temari greeted Naruto as he walked through the door of the motel room.  He raised his eyebrows in response, but didn’t speak as he began to grab some clean clothes for a shower. “We were starting to wonder if we’d ever see you again. It’s been a while, after all.”

“Feeling better, then?” Naruto asked suspiciously.  He wasn’t sure why Temari seemed so enthusiastic about his return, but it wasn’t exactly normal.  He had already decided before he even walked in the door that he would play this carefully, but now that decision was reinforced.

Temari watched him gather his clothes silently.  “Is something wrong, Naruto? Usually you’re not this quiet.”

“I’m not the only one who’s been unusually quiet,” he mumbled under his breath, out of earshot.  “I need a shower,” he responded without answering her question. “I’ll be more talkative afterwards,” he shrugged good-naturedly.  He wasn’t trying to be the antagonist here, he would be friendly toward Temari. She was one of his oldest friends, after all.

“Okay,” she responded cheerfully.  “I can’t wait to hear what you have to say,” she called out as he shut the door behind himself.  

He just barely made out what she said before he turned on the shower.  They definitely had things they needed to discuss, but first, he wanted to put on some fresh clothes.  She could wait, for now.

 

☯

 

“Do you think he learned anything?” Shikamaru asked once he heard the shower running. Naruto’s behavior had certainly been strange since he walked through the door, but even Shikamaru was having trouble deciphering it.

“I don’t know,” Temari sighed, rubbing her temples as she allowed herself to sink further into the bed.  “But we need _something_.”

“Do we have a plan if he hasn’t found anything?” Shikamaru asked, almost worriedly.

Temari groaned, letting her head fall back and hit the headboard.  “We’ll have to take to the streets. It’s a bit of a last resort, but it should work and if it’s our only option, then we don’t exactly have a choice.”

“Well then, it might be in our best interest to listen to what he has to say.  Or any ideas or leads he might have,” Shikamaru noted. “We’ll just have to see how successful he was once he gets out of the shower.”

Temari nodded in agreement, but didn’t say anything more.  She hoped Naruto’s shower wouldn’t last too terribly long.

 

☯

 

When Naruto emerged from the bathroom, he was greeted with two pair of eyes staring directly at him.

“Uh,” he gripped the ends of the towel he’d draped over his shoulders nervously, “are you guys okay?”  He was feeling admittedly more relaxed and better overall about their situation after his shower, but the sight he was greeted with was still concerning.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes lazily, letting them land on his girlfriend’s form next to him.  “You’re scaring him.”

“Yeah, okay,” Temari snorted, looking toward Shika.  “Like he’s not used to me by now. You’re the one that’s acting differently.”  She shook her head as she turned back toward Naruto. “We’re just eager to know what you’ve learned, Nar,” she explained casually.  “With any luck, we’ll be able to make some actual progress, and to be frank, I’m tired of doing research.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you are,” Naruto sighed as he made his way over to his bed.  “But first, I have some questions of my own.”

Temari’s gaze hardened as Shikamaru felt her tense up next to him.  “Questions regarding what?” she asked calmly.

“Were you ever going to tell us- or me, rather- that you used to be a member of Shukaku?”  Naruto’s voice was even as he stared her directly in the eyes, challenging her to change the subject or dodge the question.  He watched as Shikamaru cast a knowing glance at her. _So he knew, then._

“I honestly hadn’t quite decided,” Temari sighed.  “I told Shikamaru about it quite some time ago, but with you, things were different.  I wasn’t quite ready to disclose that information with you when we’d first met, and as time went on, it hadn’t really felt like the right time to reveal that to you.  I’d always assumed that you’d figure it out eventually and it looks like I was right, though this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

As Naruto listened to her explanation, he felt some of his hostility toward his friend diminish.  “So what _did_ you have in mind?” he asked, honestly curious as to how she thought he would have figured it out.

Temari looked to Shikamaru before speaking again.  Of course, he already knew everything she was about to disclose, but it didn’t make her any less nervous.  “You remember how I told you I know a couple of Shukaku members personally?”

Naruto nodded, remembering that their research was supposed to be made easier due to that fact alone.  “Yeah, is that because you were comrades or whatever when you were part of the organization?”

“Not exactly,” she replied.  “Kankurō and Gaara are my younger brothers.  My father is the head of the Shukaku organization, so we were all members by default.  We never had a choice in the matter.”

“Is that why you’ve never told us your surname?” Naruto inquired. “Because you don’t want to be linked to your family and Shukaku?”

“No,” Temari shook her head.  “No, I actually don’t even know my _actual_ surname.  Part of the integration process into the Shukaku organization is that you drop your surname entirely and refer to yourself as one of the sand.  By doing so, you swear off all familial ties and blood relations, dedicating yourself to the organization and its cause. It’s the ultimate declaration of loyalty.  As someone who was born into the organization, I’ve only ever known myself as Temari No Sabaku. My brothers are the same way, and there’s no way to convince our father to tell us our true name.  I refuse to recognize that as my name though, for two reasons. The first being that it would obviously tie me directly to a crime syndicate, and the second being that I left that life behind and that is no longer who I am.  Given that it wasn’t even my choice, I’m not sure it ever really was.”

They all sat in silence for a moment before Temari continued.  “I was lucky and managed to escape. My brothers weren’t as lucky.  I promised them I’d return for them, though, and here I am. They’ve waited far too long,” she said solemnly.  “I can only hope that they’re still alive.”

“Well, I guess that answers my next question,” Naruto added quietly.  Temari looked at him, curious about what he meant. “Shukaku’s ordered a hit out on you.  I couldn’t learn exactly how long it’s been active- the person I spoke with didn’t seem to know- but it’s obviously been quite some time.”

“Yeah,” Temari nodded.  “That’s standard protocol.  Organizations like this don’t like liabilities.  I could leak their secrets to a rival organization or sell them out to the police.  It’s their way of tying up loose ends. Of course, they haven’t been able to find me.  I fled the area immediately, travelling as far north as I could, as quickly as I could. I’m much older now, so there’s a chance I wouldn’t be recognized.  Not that I’m stupid enough to let them see me,” she added with smirk.

“Well then, I’m sure you didn’t need me to figure this out, but I know where their hideout is,” he responded, handing over a map he’d acquired.

“The sand museum,” she nodded, looking at the map.  It was the same base that they had used when she was younger, but she hadn’t been sure if they had changed locations or not after all this time.  She was thankful to Naruto for confirming that it hadn’t changed. “They have a deal with the city of Suna,” she explained. “They use their influence as power over the city, so the city has succumbed to their will.  They use rooms that are out of view of the customers during the daytime, but at night, the entire museum is theirs to use how they wish. The city of Suna even splits the profits the museum acquires; 80 percent of it goes to Shukaku.”

“Shukaku gets that much of the profits?  How much power do they have?” Naruto asked incredulously.

“More than they would if not for the Jūbi alliance,” Temari explained matter-of-factly.  “Much more than they should. That’s why we need to be careful. Why do you think it’s taken us this long to put this plan into action?”

Naruto looked down at the floor, thoughtfully.  “Are we rushing things because of me?” He asked, a wave a guilt crashing over him.  He remembered how Temari had acknowledged that their situation was hurting him when they first got to Suna.  He didn’t want to be the reason things went awry if they were unprepared.

“Not at all,” Temari shut him down immediately.  “My brothers need out; they needed out a long time ago.  It’s time we stop stalling; we’re as ready as we’ll ever be for this.”

Naruto sat quietly, allowing himself to absorb all the information she’d just disclosed.  Suddenly, he remembered something about their conversation that he’d initially disregarded.  “Wait, you said your brothers’ names were Kankurō and Gaara?”

Temari narrowed her eyes in suspicion.  “I did. Why?”

“Someone by the name of Gaara has been named Shukaku’s successor.  Originally, I didn’t think it mattered. Successors get named all the time, you know.  But if it’s your brother…” he trailed off indicatively.

“It is,” Temari remarked.  There wasn’t a doubt in her mind.  Gaara was part of the head family, after all.  Even though Shukaku claimed to not care about that sort of thing, there was a certain degree to which it mattered.  This was one such case.

“Isn’t Gaara the younger of the two?” Shikamaru spoke up.  Usually successions went to the oldest male. It was highly unusual that the head of Shukaku had named his youngest child the successor.

“He is,” Temari remarked between clenched teeth.  “I’m not surprised, though,” she added. “Gaara was practically bred for the role.  My father always associated emotions with weakness. After watching Kankurō and I grow up to still be expressive, he’d felt like he had failed the organization and himself.  Gaara’s mother was a sociopath and the most ruthless assassin he had. He chose her for that reason alone, killing her after she gave birth so she wouldn’t get attached and raise Gaara herself.  Then he raised Gaara like an animal, devoid of human affection, kept in a cage, all for the sole purpose of naming him his successor.”

Naruto eyed her, concerned.  “And you think he wants out? You’re trying to save someone who might turn around and kill you?”

She glared at Naruto in return.  “I know my brother,” she hissed. “Our father raised him that way, sure.  What he didn’t know is that Kankurō and I went out of our way to show him love and affection.  We let him know who his family was and that we’d always be there for him. He played the role perfectly.  He has a tough exterior that my father can’t see through, but deep down, really deep down, he doesn’t want anything to do with any of my father’s dealings or the Shukaku organization.  He knows who his family is, and that does _not_ include my father.  I told him I’d come back for him, and I intend to keep that promise.”

“Alright,” Naruto nodded in agreement.  He was still a little wary of Gaara, but he could tell that Temari wasn’t going to change her mind.  Besides, she _did_ know him better than either he or Shika, so who was he to judge?  If this bit them in the ass later, they’d deal with it then. “So what’s the plan?”

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A whole chapter and Naruto didn't think about Sasuke once. As you can tell, he's kind of got his hands full with this whole Shukaku thing. The next chapter will likely be more of the trio as they try to put their plan into action and *possibly* a Sasuke/Naruto consultation, but we'll see what happens. Thanks for all your support guys, it really means a lot!


	13. The Beginning Of The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temari and Shikamaru disappear for a good portion of the night, leaving Naruto alone and bored. Naruto goes on a walk in a effort to kill some time. Shikamaru and Temari return and they make their way to Shukaku's base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess chapters are going to start coming out on a monthly basis (hopefully it will be that often, honestly, I try to write whenever I get the chance.) I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, you'll actually get to start seeing what Naruto, Temari and Shikamaru are all about. Of course, it won't all be spelled out until later, but you'll kind of get the gist of it. As always, I love hearing from you guys!

Naruto sat alone in the motel room, bored out of his mind.  Shikamaru and Temari had taken it upon themselves to embark on a secret mission, and they refused to let Naruto know anything about it.

“You’ll figure it out when we get back,” Temari had promised him.  Meanwhile, he had no form of entertainment and was doomed to just wait until they returned.  They had already been gone over an hour.

He had contemplated calling Sasuke, but it was getting late, and he knew Sasuke needed to sleep.  Besides, the only thing he had ever called Sasuke for was to figure out their situation. Now that they’d gotten that settled, he wasn’t sure he would have much to say to the man.  Not to mention that Sasuke would _definitely_ cuss him out for calling him for no reason.

All this sitting around and anticipating was starting to make him nervous.  Sure, he was literally sitting around doing nothing right now, but he had a feeling that was going to change soon.  Once Temari and Shikamaru returned, they would head straight for Shukaku’s headquarters before fleeing the area entirely.  He honestly wasn’t sure if they’d make it.

Naruto decided he’d take a walk.  There was no law against walking around the city at night, he would know.  If he just so happened to accidentally find the Sand Museum, then so be it.

 

☯

 

Naruto stood atop a hill looking down at the sand museum.  He honestly didn’t find it too impressive. There was a sand sculpture at the entrance that was hard to make out in the darkness, and the museum itself just looked like a basic building with a lot of windows.

It was obviously a tourist attraction.

“Museum’s closed,” a deep voice came from behind him.  Naruto actually jumped at the sound as he hadn’t realized someone had approached him.

His eyes flew wide open for a moment at the fear that he’d just gotten caught staking out the place.  He quickly thought of an escape as he turned to face the owner of the voice.

“Oh,” he laughed nervously, scratching the back of head.  “Is that was that is? I was just out for a stroll and I came across this place and I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at, with it being so dark and all.”  

“I see,” The man said simply.  “Well now you know.” His face held no expression as he spoke, leaving Naruto feeling a bit unsettled.  His light green eyes were hard and cold, his short, dark red hair almost covering the kanji tattoo on his forehead.

Naruto wasn’t sure if he’d ever met a trained assassin before, but this was pretty much what he would have imagined it to be like.  “Well, thanks,” he responded as he began to walk off, careful to not head in the direction of the motel. “Maybe I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

The man didn’t respond as Naruto walked off, heading toward town.  Even though he refused to look back, Naruto could feel the man’s eyes on him until he disappeared from sight.

 

☯

 

By the time Temari and Shikamaru returned, it was after midnight.  Naruto had been impatiently waiting all night and he was starting to get cranky.

“And where have you two been all night?” He greeted as they entered the room.

Temari snorted.  “That’s no concern of yours.  All you need to know is that we succeeded,” she stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing manner.

“Temari,” Naruto inhaled deeply, trying to maintain his composure.  “I have been trapped in this room all night.” Although that wasn’t entirely true, Naruto wasn’t feeling any less anxious, and he _definitely_ wasn’t telling them about _that_ adventure.  “You know I can’t sit still for 5 minutes, let alone 5 hours!”  He gestured wildly as all his pent up energy desperately tried to find an outlet.

“It’s been much longer than 5 hours, Naruto,” Shikamaru added lazily.  He wasn’t even sure why he was interjecting. This conversation was obviously going nowhere.

“That’s even worse!” Naruto cried, standing on his bed as he towered over them.  Didn’t they realize that this was torture to him?

Temari looked up at Naruto unfazed, glanced to Shikamaru, then sighed.  “Fine,” She said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out what she was reaching for and unfolded the cloth for Naruto to see.  “Happy?”

Naruto stared blankly at the fabric in front of him.  He noticed, after some consideration, that it was a flag.  The flag had a black background with the depiction of an orange nine-tailed fox.  It was actually quite stunning, he just wasn’t sure what it represented.

After giving Naruto plenty of time to voice his thoughts, Temari concluded that the boy had no idea what he was looking at.  She rolled her eyes behind the cover of the flag. “This is the Kurama flag, the Kyūbi organization. We’re going to place it strategically in Shukaku’s base.  Then we’re going to take theirs, and we’ll slowly begin to cause chaos throughout the entire alliance!” she laughed maniacally.

“Wow,” Naruto whispered as he sat down on the bed.  So _that_ was how they were going to do it.  He was awestruck by how simple of a plan it was that would cause all the turmoil they were aiming for.

“Wait!” he realized suddenly where Kuruma resided.  “You went all the way back to Konoha?! Without me?!”

“Naruto, please,” Temari responded as she began to put the flag away.  “You just would have wanted to see Sasuke, and not only are you supposed to be getting over him, but we didn’t exactly have _time_ for that kind of shit anyway.”

Naruto’s only response was the grumbling he made under his breath.

“If the two of you are finished,” Shikamaru interrupted their conversation once more, “then we should go ahead and get going.  It’s getting pretty late, and we have chaos to implement,” he added pointedly.

“Indeed we do,” Temari agreed.  “Come on, Naruto,” she held out her hand to help him off the bed.  “We’re not staying here another day.”

They each grabbed their things and took off into the night, making sure to leave their key cards locked in the now vacant motel room.

 

☯

 

“What are we doing?” Naruto whispered at Temari next to him.  They had been sneaking around sand sculptures and Shukaku members all night.  

Temari shot him a glare and put a finger over her mouth as an indication for him to shut the fuck up.  She wasn’t about to get caught after they’d come this far. Besides, he already knew about Gaara and Kankurō, so he should have already known the answer to his question.

If she was being honest with herself, Temari was starting to get nervous.  They’d seen plenty of Shukaku members wandering around all night, some multiple times, yet they hadn’t encountered either of her brothers.

As if on cue, Gaara and Kankurō turned the corner, likely heading toward their room.  Temari watched them for a moment, taken aback by how much they’d grown over the years.  She couldn’t believe that she’d missed half of her little brothers’ lives already. Then again, that road went both ways, and they’d also missed a healthy chunk of hers.

Temari signaled to Shikamaru and Naruto to follow her as she trailed her brothers, careful not to be seen by anyone.  They snuck through several large exhibition rooms before travelling down a long, dark, narrow hallway and coming out into a bedroom.  Luckily Gaara and Kankurō were alone. They would have been spotted immediately.

“Kankurō,” Temari spoke, trying to keep her voice even.  “Gaara.”

They turned around to meet the sister they hadn’t seen since they were all young.  Kankurō smirked, having never doubted his sister. Gaara’s attention was focused elsewhere, however.  He was staring straight at Naruto.

“You,” Gaara spoke directly to Naruto, his voice deep and gravelly .  “So you aren’t just a tourist. I suspected as much.”

Naruto looked up nervously at the familiar voice, wary when his eyes met the other’s.  “Temari…” he began nervously, keeping his eyes trained on Gaara, “...are you sure about this?”

“Positive,” Temari responded simply, ignoring the tension in the air.  “More importantly, _Naruto_ , have you two met?”

“You...could...say...that…” Naruto responded anxiously.  He wasn’t exactly privy to the idea of Temari finding out that he was staking the place out earlier.  He silently pleaded to Gaara with his eyes not to say anything more.

“I caught him staring at the museum earlier tonight.  Tourists don’t typically stare at attractions from a distance.  It was highly suspicious.” Gaara’s eyes never left Naruto’s, nor did his expression change in the least.  Naruto found himself tensing uncomfortably in response.

“Naruto, you _idiot_ ,” Temari hissed under her breath, punching him in the shoulder.  “You could have ruined everything!”

“It wasn’t that obvious,” Naruto grumbled under his breath, but said no more.  He rubbed at his shoulder, certain that her punch would at least leave a bruise.

“I hate to break up this heartfelt reunion,” Shikamaru interrupted dryly, “but we should probably get to work.  We’re running out of time.”

“Of course,” Temari nodded in agreement.  She turned back to her brothers, getting serious.  “Take us to your flag.”

Kankurō looked to Gaara, who finally let his gaze wander from Naruto’s to meet his older brother’s eyes.  He nodded in response to Kankurō’s unspoken question.

“Alright,” Kankurō spoke up, “right this way.”

 

☯

 

Within half an hour, Naruto, Temari, and Shikamaru found themselves staring up at Shukaku’s flag.  It was a large black flag depicting a tan tanuki* in the center of it. It bore some resemblance to the Kurama flag, except the animal in the center only had one tail.

“Alright,” Temari reached into her bag, grabbing the Kurama flag and a camera.  “Naruto, you’re good at climbing, right?”

Naruto slanted a glance at Temari, already knowing where this was going.  “Why…?”

Temari smiled mischievously, tossing the flag at him.  “I need you to hang that up right under the Shukaku flag.”

Naruto sighed, but complied, stripping his hoodie off in the process.  “Fine, but you owe me,” he retorted as he grabbed onto some shelves beneath the flag and hoisted himself up.

“Actually doll, this is payback for almost blowing our cover earlier,” she replied with a wink as she pulled an instant print camera out of her bag.  “Boy, am I glad they still make these,” she commented as she waited for Naruto to finish setting up the flag. Once he had finished, she flashed him a smile in faux sweetness.  “Say cheese,” she sang, making sure that no part of Naruto was actually visible in the picture.

A few seconds later, the picture popped out, and she admired her handiwork.  “Perfect! Now go ahead and grab Shukaku’s flag, Naruto.”

“Wait,” Naruto stopped himself just as he was about to jump down.  “We’re taking their flag too?”

“But of course!”  Temari answered immediately.  Of course, she had informed him of this earlier, but she knew that Naruto didn’t always have the best memory, especially when he was focused on other things.  Like trying not to let them know he got caught checking out the museum earlier. “How else are we supposed to cause mayhem between each of the 10 factions?”

“Fine,” he sighed, relieved that he hadn’t quite made it to the ground before she instructed him to grab the flag.  He quickly undid the fastenings and made his way down, handing Temari the flag so she could put it in her bag.

She grabbed the flag as he handed it to her, quickly folding it up and hiding it beneath her belongings.  “Now that’s what I call a job well done,” she added, replacing the camera and putting the picture in a safe spot.  

“So,” she began, turning to her brothers, “what’s the best way out of here?  We need out of this city ASAP.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tanuki: Japanese raccoon dog. It's supposed to be the creature that Shukaku, the One-Tails is based off of.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it, as you can tell things are actually starting to get a little serious. From here on, it might be a bit of a roller coaster. Naruto and Sasuke should meet up again within a couple of chapters. We'll see what happens, because I don't have any solid plans for that in particular. Until next time everybody!


	14. The Getaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang flee from Suna and continue their journey north. Temari and Shikamaru discuss their plans for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's the next chapter. It's not too eventful, but I hope you like it anyway. Don't forget to tell me what you think!

“Ugh, do those vents ever get cleaned?” Temari asked as she dusted herself off once they were safely outside.

“The vents are the best way to travel through the hideout without getting noticed,” Gaara responded, his voice lacking any sort of infliction.  “It was stupid of you to sneak in using the main pathways. What would you have done if you’d gotten caught?”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Temari countered as they began walking away from the museum.  “About how long do you think it will take for them to realize their flag is missing?”

Kankurō went pale instantly at the thought of them getting caught.  “We need to leave, now,” he suggested.

“My thoughts exactly,” Shikamaru agreed, whipping out a phone and calling a cab.  “They’ll be meeting us at a ramen stand stand in town. We need to hurry.”

“Wait,” Naruto interrupted before they could make it very far.  He reached into his bag, pulling out two hoodies. “Put these on.  Otherwise, someone will probably recognize you.”

Gaara and Kankurō looked to each other and nodded, taking the hoodies from Naruto.  He was right. They didn’t exactly blend in anyway, but everyone in Suna knew them by name, so it was more likely that they’d get caught.  They both pulled the hoods over their heads, successfully hiding their faces.

“Can we leave now?” Temari asked impatiently.  She was beginning to get anxious. If they got caught now, everything would be ruined.  They needed to leave Suna as fast as they could.

“Let’s go,” Naruto answered, jogging toward their destination.  The rest of the group fell into step with him, careful to keep to the shadows and avoid being seen or heard.

 

☯

 

When the cab driver first arrived, he almost refused the admittedly large group.  He argued that there wasn’t enough room in his cab for the five of them. Under normal circumstances, he’d have been right.

Temari wasn’t going to let them get stuck in Suna, though, and it was already too late to take a train.  “We’ll make it work,” she assured the man, handing over 10,000 yen. “Trust me.”

With a tip that large, the man couldn’t dare decline the group, so the 5 of them managed to squeeze into the backseat, with Gaara and Kankurō squatting on the floor between Shikamaru and Naruto’s legs.  The guys had placed their packs on top of their laps, disguising the fact that the other two were in the car as well.

Temari gave the cab driver instructions to their next destination, Gifu.  From Gifu, they would catch a train and work their way North.

Naruto stared out the window, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep until they boarded the train in Gifu.  He managed to feel relief pass through him as they exited Suna city limits. They were getting further from Shukaku’s influence.  They were less likely to get caught now.

As they made their way through Hyōgo, Naruto let his mind drift to Sasuke.  In just a few days, he would need to meet up with the man. Just a few days ago, he'd had his meeting with both Sasuke and Kakashi.  He found it odd that everything was suddenly happening so fast. Just a week ago, nothing seemed to be happening at all.

He looked to the bag in Temari’s lap.  At some point they would need to visit Konoha again.  He wondered when that would be.

 

☯

 

It didn’t take long for Naruto to pass out after their departure from Gifu.  Gaara, having stayed around Suna his entire life, spent his time staring out the window and taking in the world around them; a world he’d yet to experience.  Kankurō found the world far less interesting, and pulled a block of wood and a carving knife out of his pocket and began whittling away.

Temari and Shikamaru sat a few seats away from the rest of their group, taking the opportunity to discuss their future plans.  Once they got Gaara and Kankurō far away enough from Suna, they would need to get back to work.

“Konoha is one of our last destinations,” Temari whispered to Shikamaru.  Even with the sound of the train and the distance between them and Naruto, she didn’t want to take any risks.  Though Naruto was fully aware that they would return to Konoha, Temari wanted to keep this particular conversation a secret.

“We are all aware of this,” Shikamaru acknowledged.  “That includes Naruto.”

“I know,” Temari sighed, “but I’m not sure if the return is in his best interest.  That’s the whole reason we left him in Suna when we grabbed that flag. I’m not convinced he’s losing interest in Sasuke, and we can’t afford that kind of distraction.  We’re talking life or death situations here.”

Shikamaru snorted.  “What was your first clue?  The fact that he’s seemingly lost interest in other prostitutes?  Or was it that he didn’t even contest your accusation about Sasuke being a distraction for him if he were to have accompanied us to Konoha?”

Temari stared at him for a moment, her expression serious.  “So you agree with me, then.”

Shikamaru huffed.  “If I didn’t, our trip to Konoha wouldn’t have been a secret, now would it have been?”

Temari thought for a moment.  “I thought you were just being a good boyfriend,” she said callously.  Thinking about it, though, she realized that Shikamaru usually didn’t feel the need to hide minor details, and if Naruto had pestered him about it enough, he would have relented to shut the blond up.  Naruto had pestered them though, and Shika hadn’t uttered a word.

“So what do you think we should do, then?” she asked him.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and laid his head back on the seat.  “The way I see it, we have a few options.”

Temari didn’t respond, simply waiting in silence for him to elaborate.

“We _could_ attempt the mission without him,” he began.  “Like you mentioned, his focus on Sasuke could be deadly for us.  Not to mention, the smaller our group is, the less likely we are to get caught; there would be fewer of us to find.”

“On the other hand,” he continued, “it’s easier to accomplish our goals with him.  Our missions probably run more smoothly and quickly with his help.”

“I agree,” Temari nodded.  “Naruto is an asset, but then what choice do we have?  Take the risk of him getting distracted by Sasuke? Hell, Sasuke might actually be a prostitute working under the Kyūbi organization.”

“I don’t think so,” Shikamaru shook his head.  “I didn’t notice a mark on him.”

“You were _looking_?”  Temari scrunched up her face.  “Did you actually _watch_ them have sex?”

Shikamaru leveled her with a look.  “I considered the possibility of him being associated with Kurama when Naruto first slept with him.  There’s still no guarantee that he’s _not_ associated with the organization in any way, but I don’t think he works under it.”

“Naruto could still be compromised, though,” Temari addressed pointedly.

“Of course he could,” Shika agreed, “which brings us to our second option: we could target Kurama at a different time.”

“Specifically?” Temari asked for clarification.

“We could go after Kurama now, or at any time that he wouldn’t be expecting us to.  Granted, we’d have to keep our location from him somehow- or stay in a different area- and we wouldn’t have much time to plan.  He would just think that we were going after the target we initially planned to pursue. We could break the news to him after the fact.  He might be upset, but it might be in our best interest.”

“It would need to be after the Nibi organization, though,” Temari interjected.  “Otherwise, we’d just be trading Kurama and Suna’s flags and that wouldn’t be very effective for our end goal.”

“I agree,” Shikamaru nodded.  “So, after Matatabi then? Before Isobu?”

“I think that would be optimal,” Temari agreed.  “And Naruto doesn’t worry about our research for the most part, anyway, so we can look into Kurama under the guise of Isobu.”

“And if he happens to conduct his own research on Isobu while we’re actually targeting Kurama, it could still benefit us, just at a later point in time,” Shikamaru added.

“Annnnd,” Temari smiled shrewdly, “I happen to know where we should stop on the outskirts of Konoha for more funds.  There happens to be a rather wealthy family that died several years back. Their house was passed down to another member of the family, but from what I’ve gathered, he seems to have disappeared entirely.”

“So, we take care of Matabi, head to Osaka, pretend to research Isobu while _actually_ looking into Kurama, and gather our funds on the way to take down Kurama, all without letting Naruto know,” Shikamaru confirmed.

“Seems like a solid plan to me,” Temari nodded once.  She glanced out the window, looking at the sky.

“The Sun’s starting to rise,” she acknowledged, yawning and stretching.  “It’s been a long day.”

Shikamaru watched her contemplatively before running a hand through her hair.  “Get some rest. Our day has just begun.”

Temari nodded silently, resting her head on Shika’s shoulder.  He was right, after all. They weren’t even heading toward their final destination, yet.

 

☯

 

It was mid-afternoon when their train pulled into the station at Aomori.  Naruto stumbled off the train as he stretched and rubbed at his eyes. Behind him, Temari, Shikamaru, Kankurō, and Gaara all followed suit, only a little more gracefully.

Temari had only been able to take a short nap, so she wasn’t still half-asleep like Naruto was.  They were all feeling the effects of the long ride, though, and it showed on their faces.

“Are we getting on another train now?” Naruto asked bitterly.  Their trip had already taken most of the day, and they weren’t even done yet.

“I think we can wait,” Shikamaru suggested, calculating in his head.  “Why don’t we all grab something to eat and walk around for a little bit.  We can board the train that leaves in about an hour.”

Temari nodded.  “That’s a good idea.  We’ve all been sitting for hours; we could use the chance to stretch our legs.”

“Agreed,” Naruto stretched, still adjusting to the fact that he was actually standing now. “I’m gonna go find something to eat; catch you guys later.”  He walked off, waving a hand behind himself in farewell, without giving anyone a chance to object.

Temari sighed as he vanished, taking a turn down a street ahead of them.  “That idiot. We never agreed that we could split up.”

“I’m sure he’ll just meet us back here in an hour,” Shikamaru responded.  “For now, why don’t you take your brothers and go do something together? I’ll look for the idiot.”

Temari looked at Shikamaru meaningfully before nodding.  “Come on you two, let’s go find something to do for an hour.”  

Shikamaru watched wistfully as Temari and her brothers slowly disappeared into the distance.   He almost felt bad, honestly. It was the first time she had seen them in years, and only later today would they be parting ways once again.  Perhaps when this was all over, they would be able to reunite and live as a family. Yet another reason to keep their plan going and complete their missions as quickly as possible.

He looked off toward the road they had seen Naruto turn down.  Shaking his head, he decided to pursue the blond. “I wonder where the nearest ramen stand is,” he spoke to himself aloud, taking in his surroundings.  He was sure that's where the blond had ended up and they would need to make sure they were back in about 45 minutes.

 

☯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not very eventful, just as promised. They still have a little bit of travelling to do before Naruto, Temari, and Shika can get back to work. I'm thinking about writing in a conversation between Temari and her brothers, but I'm unsure. We'll just see what happens. I hope you guys liked it!


End file.
